


The Moon Shines Brighter At The North Pole

by DancingSkys



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Airbender Hunk (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Avatar Keith (Voltron), Avatar State, Bending (Avatar), Blood and Injury, Earthbender Pidge | Katie Holt, Fire Nation (Avatar), Firebender Keith (Voltron), Firebender Shiro (Voltron), Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Keith (Voltron)-centric, Keith in Love (Voltron), Keith learns waterbendering, Lance (Voltron)-centric, M/M, Nonbinary Pidge | Katie Holt, Northern Water Tribe, Orphan Keith (Voltron), Pining, Prince Lance (Voltron), Strangers to Lovers, Violence, Waterbender Lance (Voltron), but he tries his best, or tries to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 39,747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26338999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancingSkys/pseuds/DancingSkys
Summary: As the Avatar Keith has the responsibility to protect the world. In past lives, this meant helping people with their problems. For him, it means learning all elements as quickly as possible to stop the Fire Nation from taking over the world. There aren't many places left where people can live in peace but he is determined to do anything to protect the Northern Water Tribe from meeting the same fate as the captured cities.Learning waterbending proves to be the most difficult of the four elements and Keith struggles to achieve even the smallest improvements. He would have continued to struggle if it weren't for a white-haired boy called Lance who declared himself his unofficial teacher and helped him figure things out.The longer they stay at the north pole and the more time he spends with Lance, the more Keith realizes that he feels drawn to him in a way he has never experienced before. But the attack of the Fire Nation looms above them and he isn't sure he'll be able to protect the city even as the Avatar.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 153





	1. Chapter One: The Arrival

**Author's Note:**

> I stopped writing this over 10 months ago at 12k words and now look at it. I got into ATLA and Voltron again and I really wanted to finish this. Coming up with lore and all that was a lot of fun!  
> I also didn't want to make Keith too... angry and socially awkward. He is inclined to come off this way but there is more to his character so I didn't want him to be one-dimensional.  
> More tags will be added later on so make sure to check those before the next updates! Those will come weekly~

The Water Tribe.

Keith had saved it for last. Not because he wanted to save it as something special. That was not the case for sure. If anything he wished he could have just avoided the Water Tribe altogether. He didn’t have anything against them. Not at all. He simply couldn’t bear the thought of having to learn waterbending. There was no way that would go over well. No matter what the Avatars before him had pulled off, there was just no good outcome that could possibly happen.

Not only this but the Water Tribe was on guard against anything and anyone who was not part of their tribe. A flying bison, a winged lemur, an air bender, an earth bender and two native firebenders were not exactly your typical traveling group and it seemed the scouts stationed outside the city didn’t exactly trust them. 

If their ‘welcome’ was anything to go by.

“Keith.”

Keith startled and looked at Shiro who had a disapproving look on his face. It was The Look he always gave his self-adopted younger brother when he did something stupid. 

“What?” Keith asked and he swore he saw Shiro’s eyebrow twitch. It was a dangerous sign. It meant Shiro was performing some sort of meditating on the inside to remain calm and composed. Everyone thought he was incredibly level-headed but only because he wanted to be. He had a better grasp of the raging fire inside his chest than Keith did but don’t be fooled. He could go up in flames just as passionately.

“Don’t.”

“I didn’t even do anything.”

“You were thinking about it.”

Keith wanted to protest but had no excuse so he closed his mouth again. He couldn’t deny thinking just fending off the water people would make things easier… at least at first glance but apparently being the Avatar meant you had to be civilized and… Keith didn’t even know the words to describe what he was supposed to be like. Simply because he just wasn't. Whatever it was, he was it.

Whoever had decided to make him the Avatar had been an utter fool.

“Uh, guys, I don’t want to alarm you but there are like uhh… three ships approaching,” Hunk said uneasily. His hands were wringing Mochi’s reins nervously. The flying bison was currently trapped in a sheet of ice that Keith and Shiro could get rid of without problem but of course Shiro was a diplomat. That was the word Keith had been searching for. Maybe he should be one too, being the Avatar and all that. 

“Finally something is happening,” Pidge groaned and rolled over so they could sit up and see what exactly was approaching them. “I was starting to die of boredom. There is nothing to do here.” Rover chirped and curled around their neck. The flying lemur had tried catching fish a while ago but had failed horribly. They had all decided not to mention it in order not to make him feel bad.

The three ships from the Water Tribe approached them, each of them steered by a few waterbenders. Everyone abroad was ready to fight if the situation called for it, looking at the intruders suspiciously. At least they didn’t attack immediately since that was apparently a habit only people from the Fire Nation possessed. Everyone else was on guard but usually didn’t jump the gun. 

Still, Keith was tense and could feel the heat of flames licking his fingertips but held himself back. The Northern Water Tribe was their only hope right now. Not just to find a master for him but also because the Fire Nation was planning to attack them within the next few months. If they failed to gain their trust they wouldn't be able to warn them.

“We mean no harm,” was the first thing Shiro said. His metal arm was hidden underneath his thick tunic, otherwise the water benders might not have believed him. Shiro was as gentle as a turtle duck but his appearance said otherwise even with his kind eyes. Some people were afraid of him just because of his scar and his arm. He hated it, Keith knew it, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it except refuting their prejudices. Perhaps it was why he was always nice to everyone. 

Though he had always been a gentle soul - perhaps too much so for a fire bender sometimes. 

“We are looking to find a teacher for the Avatar so he can master waterbending.”

Keith felt like an exhibit at the zoo with how everyone was staring at him with big eyes. The water benders looked at each other, speaking in hushed voices and discussing what to do. Obviously, no one had expected the Avatar to suddenly show up. Especially not like this. Their little ragtag group was anything but impressive. It helped to go unnoticed but hardly anyone believed the Avatar would travel like this.

Whatever they had expected, Keith was certain it wasn’t him and his group of misfits.

Finally one of them stepped forward. “Follow us,” was all he said and the ice dissolved. The ships turned around and Mochi swam after them towards a giant ice wall hidden behind confusing turns around glaciers. It was the city's protection, both the hidden location and the wall, and Keith had to be honest and say he had never seen such an impressive structure made entirely out of ice. 

They were allowed to enter with the help of the waterbenders who molded the ice around them effortlessly. Hunk was still worried they would suddenly attack them while Pidge took in the architecture of the city with big eyes. It was entirely made of ice, just like the wall, and sparkled in the sunlight. If they were allowed to, Pidge would surely want to get their hands on the city plans and anything else that was native to the Water Tribe. Their curiosity and thirst for knowledge had no bounds.

Keith hadn't expected their arrival to be such a spectacle but of course, the universe just loved to prove him wrong. Instead of just passing through the rivers that divided the city as roads did everywhere else people were rushing forward to look at the newcomers. Some even waved and called out to their group. Keith had no idea how to react to such a welcome. 

Until now they had usually remained low to not attract any attention. Here it was the complete opposite. Everyone knew who had just arrived. However, that information had traveled this quickly. All Keith did was try to smile and wave lamely. Shiro was probably distressed about the fact that Keith was hopeless in these aspects while Pidge and Hunk waved enthusiastically.

It had been a while since they didn’t have to worry about interacting with others.

None of them had anticipated such a grande welcome and it all passed in nothing but a blur. So much that Keith couldn't recall how he had ended up standing in a courtyard in front of dozens of strangers. This might be the most dreaded part of this entire journey.

Keith wished he wouldn’t have to meet the king and queen of the Water Tribe. He wasn’t good at the social aspect of his existence. He was just a hothead who happened to be the Avatar. Not a good combination in anyone’s eyes, his own especially. He had no idea about politics or social norms, that was more up Shiro’s alley. Keith was a street kid for fuck’s sake. All he was was street smart, a thief in his younger years and an incredible liar when he had to be one. None of those things were honorable traits. It didn’t suit the Avatar at all and yet here he was. The irony of the universe.

“Bow,” Shiro hissed under his breath and Keith was quick to bow at the waist. He never bowed to anyone. Not out of disrespect, he just didn’t, but not bowing to royalty was certainly not a good idea. Even he had to admit it in hindsight. This is exactly why he would be an absolute mess if he didn’t have Shiro.

“We welcome the Avatar and his friends.” The queen’s voice was warm and welcoming and Keith couldn’t help thinking of her as a good mother immediately. He could be completely wrong but that was his first impression. Since he had never met his own mother he didn’t have any comparison from personal experience. Nevertheless, she gave off a gentle, albeit passionate, caringness. “Please feel at home during your stay with us. You are our honored guests and will be treated as such.”

The four friends slowly straightened up again. Pidge looked incredibly excited and Hunk seemed to be relieved they weren’t about to be publicly executed for stepping foot in Water Tribe territory. 

“Thank you, your highness,” Shiro said smoothly. He had this charming smile on his face that most people did a doubt take at. They didn’t expect it to come from someone of his stature and background. The scar across the bridge nose gave off a different impression.

“We were informed that the Avatar is looking for a teacher,” the king said and Keith nodded his head dumbly. “I… yes…” Your such a talented person, Keith, great job. He should leave the talking to Shiro. His brain was simply not capable of these complex tasks in situations where it truly mattered. All it knew was "uuuhhh flamey stuff" and "burn it with fire".

The king just nodded his head, thankfully not commenting on Keith’s eloquent answer, and gestured to a male next to him. “I propose my oldest son, Luis. He’s a formidable water bender and will teach you everything you need to know.”

The oldest prince looked to be in his early thirties and had a kind smile. Two small children were clinging to his legs so naturally, Keith wondered if they were his own. “Thank you… your highness,” he added in hindsight. Expressing gratitude would be expected.

Keith hoped we wouldn’t ruin the people’s expectation of him entirely but he had little faith.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Naturally, with Keith being a fire bender, waterbending did not come to him like the other elements had. He had expected this but it was still incredibly frustrating. Even after two weeks of training he barely got a reaction out of a puddle. He was more likely to breathe fire during his training than to influence the water around him. 

Luis was patient and kind, giving him advice whenever he could but he too seemed to be at a bit of a loss with Keith’s non-existent progress. It was the first time he was teaching a fire bender whose natural tendencies were completely different from his own. Teaching his children had been a feat, but even they had shown quicker progress.

Keith didn’t understand cultural references or traits, he had grown up with a different mentality and didn’t possess the natural affinity to water most waterbenders found within themselves. It was like trying to teach a cook how to write poetry. It was the same in the sense that you were working towards a finished product but simply because you excelled at one creative craft didn’t mean you would naturally excel at another one. 

It was frustrating and with each day Luis seemed to be more and more at a loss of what they could try. 

“It might be because water is so opposite of your natural element,” he mused after another failed attempt. “I believe you didn’t have the same struggles with earth or air?”

Keith shook his head. “It was difficult, sure, but not like this. It’s like I’m trying but I always fall back onto fire, not water.” His body was wired to fire, no matter how much he should be balanced between the elements. Fire was his home, his comfort. Letting in earth and air had been a struggle but water felt like a threat. Like it would extinguish the flame inside of him so his very being rebelled against every attempt.

Luis hummed thoughtfully. “We will figure something out.” Still optimistic after all this time. 

Keith had expected him to get annoyed or angry about his nonexistent improvement but the prince didn’t fault him. He did look disappointed sometimes but never blamed it on Keith. He rather faulted himself for being unable to properly bring across the lessons he wanted to teach the Avatar. 

“But let’s stop for today,” he said. “No one will get anything out of you melting ice cubes.”

Keith managed a weak smile and nodded. It didn’t make him feel any better though. He was a pessimist, he always assumed the worst and was sure he’d never learn waterbending. He was a failure, the worst Avatar to have ever existed and he’d let everyone down. Not only that but the Fire Nation’s attack was getting closer and closer. It was a looming threat over everyone’s head and if Keith didn’t master all the elements in time he wasn’t sure he’d be of much help.

Not even the beautiful architecture of the Northern Water Tribe could brighten his mood today. Usually, a walk through the buildings of ice and snow could calm him down at least a little bit but not today. 

Pidge had completely fallen in love with the complex structure of the city, studying every square inch of it. Not just the design of the buildings but also the infrastructure and social aspects. It was very different from other cities they had come across.

The people had a strong sense of community and helped each other out without expecting compensation. The guards who came back from their shift would play with the kids, benders would adjust housing and other structures as needed. There was a public library, according to Hunk, with endless scrolls and books. It was open to anyone who sought knowledge.

The royal family was not above helping. The castle was open to anyone who needed it, the king and queen listened to the voices of their people. Their children had active roles in the community and preferred to work with them, rather than make decisions alone. 

Keith had wondered how such a society could work. He was used to rigid structures and strict hierarchies. There were rules and expectations. Depending on your background you were denied certain aspects of life. Similarly, you were expected to follow certain traditions and conform to what the Fire Lord envisioned as an ideal for his citizens. There was no breaking free and making a name for yourself or going in a different direction.

Here, everyone had freedom of choice. Keith saw young boys learning how to heal and helping their mothers without a fuss. Among the guards, scouts and soldiers were many women of all ages, benders and non-benders alike. 

Just because you were a bender you didn’t have to train to become a soldier. Just because you could heal didn’t mean you had to work as a doctor. 

Life seemed peaceful up here. The cold of the snow and ice did not affect the people. They were warm and welcoming. Usually, this would be enough to lift Keith’s spirits and hope they would stand a chance against the Fire Nation’s pending attack but the setbacks from his lessons dampened his spirits. The fire inside his chest couldn’t decide between disappointment and anger, the flames lashing out and making Keith prone to doing the same if he weren’t so tired of experiencing disappointment day after day.

It got tiresome and the hope for a breakthrough was dimming more each day.

“Wow, you sure are in a great mood.”

Keith looked up and saw someone walking next to him. He hadn’t even noticed he had company and wondered for how long the other had been there. Most people were too intimidated by either him being the Avatar or his bad case of ‘resting bitch face’. He didn’t mind it since he wasn’t exactly good at talking anyway. It was easier to avoid conversation than to disappoint people with his nonexistent skills or bristly attitude.

Walking by his side was a boy around his age if he had to guess. His clothes were in the same colors as everyone else’s - shades of blue and brown with white trimming and fur. The sleeves of his thick coat cut off at about two thirds and revealed the fitted sleeves of a tunic or undershirt underneath. His tan skin had warm undertones. Two striking blue eyes, electric almost like lightning, were settled onto Keith while the owner wore an amused look on his face. 

Most noticeable was his pure white hair though. It looked almost unreal, not like Shiro’s greying forelock of white hair but actually hair void of any pigment - like freshly fallen snow. Never before had Keith seen such a color on anyone, even elderly people, though he doubted this was due to age. He refrained from dwelling on it. Instead, he sighed in an annoyed manner in response to the earlier remark and rolled his eyes. 

“Yes, I’m ecstatic, couldn’t be better.”

The guy snorted, either not getting the hint or ignoring it pointedly. Judging by the glint in his mesmerizing eyes, it was the latter. 

“Bending giving you trouble?”

Keith could feel his eyebrow twitching and wondered if this is how Shiro felt when he was trying to remain calm. Yelling at a native of the Water Tribe wouldn’t look good, even when said native was being annoying. Sometimes Keith hated how he had to deal with these things and remain in line with whatever the Avatar was supposed to be. He settled for a passive-aggressive counter-question and hoped it would be enough to regain his peace and quiet. 

“What’s it to you?”

“Nothing.” The other shrugged his shoulders before grinning mischievously. “Just nice to tease the Avatar. Do you have a name or does everyone have to call you Avatar? Is it like a respect thing or something? Do you not get a name because you are a reincarnation?”

Keith sighed heavily. He had a feeling this guy wouldn’t leave him alone for a while and his nature seemed to be rather energetic. It would surely be for the best to simply indulge him for now until he got bored and would leave on his own. It’s how most conversations went when Keith was involved. He was not nearly interesting or talented enough to keep the ball rolling for long. 

“My name’s Keith.”

“Keith,” the other mused thoughtfully, forgetting about his other questions. “That’s kinda disappointing. Had hoped for something more… mystical.” He said it with a big grin so Keith didn’t take any offense. He knew it was a boring name. Most people expected something ancient or something with a deep meaning. He couldn’t offer any of that though. Whoever had named him had not bothered with it.

“Kind of a letdown.”

“Well, you’re welcome to just keep calling me Avatar if that is any more exciting to you,” Keith huffed. Some people did only call him Avatar which was fine with him but it did feel like they were not seeing him as an individual but rather as… a reincarnation of his previous lives. It was sort of true but it didn’t mean Keith wasn’t his own person. 

“Nah,” the guy waved his hand around dismissively. He wasn’t wearing any gloves. “So, what’s giving you trouble, Keith?”

He took a long look at him, studying him but it seemed he was genuinely curious. The mischief had disappeared from his face, replaced a genuine look. For whatever reason was beyond Keith. This sort of aggressive togetherness was not something he was used to. Perhaps it was simply a tradition of these people to get into everyone’s business and try to help.

“Again, what’s it to you?” Didn’t mean he wasn’t still wary about the other’s true intentions. He wasn’t used to people offering genuine help and advice. Heck, even getting Pidge onto the team had been one hell of a ride. Hunk was an exception to the rule.

“I dunno, maybe I can help?” the guy offered and if Keith hadn’t been so at wit's end he might have scoffed and shrugged him off but now… He just wanted to achieve some sort of improvement. Maybe getting a different perspective would be good? 

Until now barely anyone had dared to talk to him about waterbending. It was almost as if they didn’t want to offend him or offer advice because he was the Avatar. As if that meant he was above anyone’s advice except for his designated teacher. Sure, he would be pissed and offended but… not for long. He had his pride, which was one of his bad qualities, so of course, he would take it personally. Especially now when it was obvious waterbending was more difficult for him than it should be.

“Okay, fine,” Keith huffed. He didn’t like it because it felt like he was admitting defeat but he really couldn’t think of anything else that could possibly help him. What’s talking to a random stranger gonna worsen? 

“What’s giving me trouble? Everything. I can’t even get any movement from a puddle. Nothing.” It felt both good and bad to admit this out loud. Especially to someone he didn’t know. “So, what is your advice?” He turned to the other who regarded him closely for a moment before grinning smugly. 

“Come on,” he called and grabbed Keith’s wrist, falling into a jog and pulling him along. “My name’s Lance by the way.”

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Lance was… a funny character to say the least. He was annoying, sometimes a little obnoxious, loud and all over the place. He had his heart in the right place though and managed to smile through everything even when his jokes were anything but witty or funny but - Keith barely dared to say it out loud - he was a good teacher. Very different from Luis who was all about slow and steady, basic to more advanced, simple and correct.

Lance was more like… 

“You gotta feel it, man, down in your veins.”

“Not in my bones?” Keith asked. He had his eyes closed and stood with his legs apart, as he did for earthbending, in front of a pond in a small courtyard. Lance dragged him out here every time for their unofficial lessons. It was undisturbed and out of the way. Keith liked it here because no one was watching them and he didn’t feel like he had to impress Lance or act a certain way around him. 

Luis was nice but he was still royalty, a prince. He was the oldest and next in line for the throne. Keith felt a bit like a kid who had to impress an adult around him. It was certainly not the case and surely Luis didn’t think of him as an actual child but he still couldn’t help it. Placing him with a prince who was a lot higher in the social hierarchy was just… bound to make things more complicated for a street kid like him. He has always had trouble with authority and while Luis did not enforce any of it, there was still a barrier between them. 

If their journey until now had proven one thing, then it was that Keith learned best by trial and error with a teacher who was his age and not afraid of scolding him and telling him outright when he was being stupid. He doubted Luis would ever speak with Keith on such a level and he felt the urge to keep up a professional relationship.

With Lance, Keith didn’t feel any of that pressure. It was more like he was… talking to a friend. They were the same age and on the same level, no social hierarchies or differences. They weren’t afraid of pointing out obvious mistakes or knock him down a few notches when he was getting caught up in his head. Lance was very much the same and didn’t care that he was the Avatar. He treated him like he would anyone else, speaking freely and joking around.

Lance might have shaken his head but Keith couldn’t see him with his eyes closed. “No, no, no. Bones are too… no. Water is fluid, yeah?”

“Uhu?” Keith wasn’t sure what the other was trying to get at but he could at least agree with that statement.

“So you gotta feel it in your veins, like blood, okay?”

“... no, not really.”

“Okay, okay, so- no, no, no, keep your eyes closed.”

Keith closed his eyes again with a small sigh. “If you throw water on me I’m gonna fry your skinny ass. Don’t test me.” He had thrown fire at Lance before but the other had just doused the attack with a wall of water. 

For some reason, it had both dumbfounded Keith and had left him speechless. He was used to his fire doing damage, at most being redirected or blocked but he had never seen his flames being squashed like this. It had been a bit of an eye-opener than indeed, fire and water were polar opposites and canceled each other out. 

Lance had laughed at his expression and the remainder of the lesson they had sparred jokingly. It had been a nice change of pace and simply observing his unofficial teacher had helped Keith understand some crucial details. 

Still, it hadn’t been enough to let him grasp the concept and apply it to his bending.

Lance laughed delightfully and Keith couldn’t deny that the sound alone brought a smile to his face. Lance was incredibly cheerful and it seemed everyone was affected by this. Not even Keith was safe from his bright personality. It spread like a happy disease whenever Lance laughed and there was no antidote. It was incredibly cheesy and he hoped his cheeks weren’t getting warm because that would be very embarrassing. He couldn’t even blame it on the cold because he was spared from that because of his inner flame.

“I won’t. It’s tempting but I’m holding myself back,” Lance promised. “Though it is on my bucket list… get it? Bucket?” 

Keith grunted. There was one of those very not funny jokes which still managed to be charming in a weird way. 

He kept his eyes closed as instructed and heard Lance moving around, the snow crunching under his thick boots. 

“Alright, try to feel this.”

Keith tensed up involuntarily at the vague instruction, anticipating water to hit him somewhere but it never came. He honestly didn’t feel anything. Just… nothing. He wasn’t even sure what he was supposed to feel. His eyebrows furrowed.

Lance must have been able to see the confusion on his face. “Just concentrate. I know you can feel this. Just… relax and try.”

So Keith concentrated. Lance was sassy and annoying but if he said Keith should be able to do something he would do anything to prove he’d be able to do it. Not because he wanted to impress him. 

What? 

No! 

That would be stupid. 

No, it was because he was not about to be shown up but a lanky, incredibly charming bamboo stick like Lance. That’s the only reason.

So he concentrated. Eyes closed, all senses heightened. It didn’t feel like anything happened at first but slowly he made something out. A presence that was swirling around him. He could feel it, how it moved smoothly in circles and he mapped it out in his head. It was repetitive and he was slowly getting the hang of the gentle movements. It reminded him of a flow of energy traveling through his body.

He must have done something unconsciously once he felt the presence because only a minute later Lance cheered happily. “There you go! See? I told you so.”

Keith blinked his eyes open and saw a line of water circling him smoothly. He was surprised and froze, the water wobbling before it stopped and hovered above the ground in a perfect sphere. Keith turned to Lance in surprise, eyes wide and the other smiled at him, hand stretched out to keep the water in place. “You did like 50% of that on your own.”

“I did not,” Keith protested immediately but Lance just sent him a knowing look before dropping the water. “Nuhu, you did. I saw it and you didn’t. So, now that we know you actually can water bend we can get down to the real stuff.”

“Were you doubting me?”

“Hm… not doubting you specifically, just the whole waterbending thing. Don’t get me wrong, I totally believe you’re the Avatar and all that but…” Lance gestured to him vaguely. “It’s difficult to imagine you waterbending, much less airbending and meditating and all that. You seem more like someone who’d try to run through walls, not like you’d try any negotiating and ‘keeping the balance’.”

Keith eyed his unofficial teacher for some moments. He could understand why he said those things. He himself thought it was absurd that he was supposed to be the Avatar. Shiro would have been a much better pick. Heck, anyone else probably would have been but it seemed the universe liked to laugh in his face. He was impulsive and hot-headed and had no idea about anything. He mostly ran on instinct alone so it was surprising he hadn’t gotten himself killed already. There had been a lot of opportunities in the past.

“You’re not wrong,” he sighed. “I’m a shit Avatar. If I didn’t have Shiro I would be a complete disaster.”

Lance looked at him curiously. Keith tried to deny he found the expression cute. “Shiro… the tall guy with the cool arm?” He wiggled his arm around as if to demonstrate.

Keith raised an eyebrow at him. Shiro always wore his tunic and gloves that kept his arm hidden up here in the north so Lance would have had to crawl into his tunic to actually see the metal limb. He didn’t doubt he’d do it but he doubted Shiro would be cool with it and would just let it happen. 

“Yeah… how’d you know about the arm?”

“He goes swimming in the morning,” Lance said happily. “Just saw him once, dude can swim like an otter fish and the arm is hella cool. Did the small earth bender make it for him? What was their name? Pidge?”

Keith nodded his head. Thankfully Lance had not crawled into Shiro’s tunic. He didn’t know if any of them would have recovered from that. 

“Yeah, a while ago.” 

Seeing Shiro swim made a lot more sense than spying on him stripping or crawling into his tunic. Not like Lance would have managed to stay quiet for long enough to not be noticed in either scenario.

Also, speaking about his friends made Keith realize that maybe he should introduce them. He had been spending a lot of time with Lance lately and his friends had noticed even if they hadn’t said anything. Except for Pidge of course because Pidge was a little shit. They had eyes and ears everywhere and had probably already some sort of underground gang running around to collect information for them.

Introducing them would mean Keith would no longer have Lance all to himself though. As silly and selfish as it sounded, he kind of enjoyed having alone time with him. But adding him to the group would probably be good, he’d fit right in.

“That’s so cool,” Lance mused dreamily. “Okay, but back to business. Let’s work on your bending. You’ll get nowhere if you continue to treat water like fire. That just doesn’t work. Here, let the master show you.”

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

“That’s a disgrace!”

Keith looked back perplexed, still caught in the motions Lance had just tried to teach him. Instead of demonstrating said movements, the other now stood straight, hands on his hips and eyebrows furrowed in disappointment. 

They were practicing on the outskirts of the town where fewer people mingled about. There were storage places around, old buildings made from ice with carvings and architecture that looked old. You couldn’t find it anywhere else in the city so they must have been made a while ago. 

While the inner circles of the city were bustling with life, it was quieter out here. It wasn’t entirely abandoned but Lance knew the right places to remain undisturbed and unseen. Currently, they were in the courtyard of a building Keith couldn’t identify. It was two stories tall with big windows and swooping arches. The roof displayed spikes of varying sizes and proud statues lined the balconies. Their silhouettes were smooth and flowing like water. Some were carved with water swirling around then and waves crashing at their feet. The scenes transitioned into the structure of the house seamlessly.

Some of the houses stood close together and displayed similar statues. Others showed no resemblance but instead different creatures Keith had never seen or even heard of before. The ocean and the moon were a reappearing image as well as the depiction of two koi fish. The statues might represent family sigils while the fish were native to the Northern Water Tribe. 

The courtyard was also something not commonly found within the city center. Either because of a lack of space or because it was not a style of housing anymore. Here it was normal for every other house to provide an open space enclosed within the walls. Some offered an empty field of snow while others harbored ice structures or even entire gardens. 

Modern houses in the center were more cleanly-cut with sharp edges and fewer decorations. If Keith had to guess he’d say family sigils had become less important. Perhaps it was common to move between houses or build a new one so having one house proudly displaying once heritage might no longer be desired. 

It must also have taken a long time to finish houses like these. The amount of work and attention to detail was striking. Back in the day families must have built these houses over years, slowly perfecting them with care and dedication. Putting this much effort into a house instead of work or other responsibilities was no longer contemporary as it seemed. 

Losing such a tradition was sad but it was the way society evolved. 

For their practice sessions, they used the courtyard of an old building that did not function as housing for anyone. It seemed void of life but the fountain in the middle was still running, the faint splashing of water as it ran down the complicated paths of icy twines calming. It also provided an easily accessible source of water since transforming it into different aggregations traits was not a skill Keith had mastered yet.

He had barely managed to keep the disfigured glob of water controlled but now that his focus had been disturbed by Lance’s outburst, it splashed into a puddle at his feet. He stared at it for a moment, contemplating if stomping on it would make it feel bad before deciding to use his time otherwise. 

“Is it?” he asked and then shrugged. “We’ve been staying low-profile for so long now. I don’t really like crowds of people.” Going to the markets hadn’t been exactly on his agenda. He had seen them, of course, but that had been enough to make him want to stay away even when they were supposed to be one of the most colorful and busiest places in the city.

Lance pulled a grimace. “You’re not there for the people. You’re there for literally everything else. Food, knickknacks, clothes, jewelry, anything really.”

“Still lots of people.”

“Oh boohoo. Interactions between people do have to take place occasionally.”

“Doesn’t mean I have to like them.”

Lance stared at him. Keith got the hint he disapproved of this statement and questioned his maturity. 

He shifted, avoiding the other’s gaze. Maybe it hadn’t been the most mature response. He wasn’t known for acting maturely.

“Okay, practice is over for today. I’m taking you to the markets.”

Keith couldn’t suppress the whine. “I don’t want to go, people will stare.”

While they weren’t obnoxious about it, they did stare. It was easy to single Keith out as well. His clothes and his hair gave him away quite easily and everyone knew who he was, even the kids. 

They refrained from speaking to him most of the time but he could feel their stares all over him. Ignoring them for a while was okay and he could deal with it when it was in an official setting but sometimes he wanted to disappear as he used to on the streets. Blending in with people and existing away from anyone’s gaze. He mourned his lost anonymity sometimes.

Lance made to protest but caught himself and looked Keith up and down instead. His gaze traveled over his clothing and got stuck there, his lips pursing. “Well, you don’t exactly blend in,” he said. 

Keith had been offered additional clothing from the Water Tribe, as well as coats and gloves. They all had, their accommodation provided them with whatever they needed but he had chosen not to wear them. Not out of disrespect but because he felt strange in them. Blue was not his color and while he was not a supporter of the Fire Nation as it was, he still saw himself as one of its people. 

Therefore his clothes did represent the typical reds and golds, the warm browns and greys. It was not the most obvious and he has had to hide it before while they were traveling or staying somewhere, but here he stood out like a sore thumb amongst the cool tones. 

He could throw a coat over it and hide his tunic but he ran warm and the cold didn’t bother him. His inner flame was capable of keeping his body protected and a thick coat would cause him to sweat and overheat like a chicken cooking over a campfire. 

“I like my clothes,” Keith mumbled defensively. This is what it must feel like when one’s mother disapproved of your attire.

The corner of Lance’s mouth quirked up in an amused grin but he went back to his contemplating look. Dressed as he was, Keith would attract attention no matter what. These colors just stood out in a sea of white and blue.

“Do you want my coat?” Lance asked, tugging at the soft fur of the collar.

Keith eyed it although he had seen it dozens of times by now. It was a nice coat with wide sleeves and a flattering cut. He’d like to touch the fur of it at some point. It looked incredibly soft and matched Lance’s hair.

A voice inside his head shouted “yes” regarding the question because if he got the coat then Lance would be left in whatever he had on underneath and… Keith had to stop this train of thought right there. It was absolutely not appropriate to think about and taking Lance’s coat meant he’d go without it. Seeing as he always wore it, it was only logical to conclude he needed it. 

“I’d overheat and set it on fire,” Keith said.

Lance pouted. “I like this coat, don’t set it on fire.”

Keith smiled teasingly. “Then you should keep it. Looks too nice to burn it.” He didn’t know why he had said that - even when it was true - so he decided not to think about it any further. He was good at forgetting his own stupidity, otherwise he’d still be brooding over that one awkward thing he had said ten years ago.

Lance took to his thoughtful look again, face lighting up as an idea presented itself. With a few swift movements, he pulled the coat over his head, messing up his hair in the process. 

Seeing his secret desire coming true, even unprompted, Keith couldn’t help but stare. He held his breath just in case as he was granted permission to see what Lance wore underneath his coat. Everyone else would call it underwhelming since there was not much to see. Lance wore what most other people wore as well but still, something made Keith unable to turn his gaze away. 

A dark blue, fitted undershirt was the layer Keith recognized as the sleeves were visible even with the coat on. It wasn’t just sleeves, as he had thought at first, but part of a shirt with the collar crawling up Lance’s neck. It covered his chest before his tunic wrapped over it. Bold white hems complimented the curve of the garment as it folded over Lance’s chest and was held this way by a separate piece of fabric wrapped around his waist. A thick, braided rope acted as a belt to keep everything from moving. 

It must have been done with lots of care. Silver threats were woven into it and caught the light of the sun. The tunic parted in the front, flaring out the slightest bit underneath the belt to compliment Lance’s hips. The back of it was longer and reached down to just above his knees. 

For some inexplicable reason, Keith’s eyes settled on Lance’s neck and noted a lack of a necklace. He had heard it was tradition to propose to someone with a necklace - either only here or also in the south - and while he hadn’t expected to see one, he was still relieved. Then he caught up with himself and questioned why exactly he had focused on this. The implication made him nervous, therefore he banished it from his head. 

This was easy because no more thought could even enter his head as Lance undid the rope and the tunic slowly unraveled itself. He took the rope and belt fabric in one hand as the tunic slid down his arms gracefully. 

Keith swallowed as he now stared at Lance’s upper body, the shape only enhanced by the undershirt and oh dear… it was a nice shape. Broad shoulders and a wide chest but not unproportional to the rest of him. Lithe and yet strong. 

Heat warmed Keith’s body from the inside even without any additional clothing.

“Here.”

He needed a moment to muster up a response, glancing down at the offered tunic Lance held out to him expectantly. Keith did not know what this meant, his brain was unable to think about anything else besides the image burned onto the inside of his eyelids. Were he able to draw, he would have run home to capture the moment for eternity. Sadly his talents did not extend to art.

The confusion must have been clear on his face because Lance decided to elaborate further. He shook the clothing. “We’ll switch. You wear mine and give yours to me. No overheating and all that red will be hidden. Well… most of it anyway.”

Keith needed a moment to understand and then another moment to conclude he’d have to take off his tunic. He wasn’t exactly shy about doing so but switching clothes with Lance felt awfully intimate and made his heart beat a little faster. 

His hands moved without being told to do so, undoing the clasps at the side and the embellished fabric wrap around his waist. It was less intricate than Lance’s because Keith had always like simplicity. Living on the streets also hadn’t exactly let him douse himself in riches. He took the tunic off, resisting the urge to feel naked in just his undershirt, and switched clothing with Lance. 

The blue tunic was lined with a soft fabric from the inside and was still warm. Keith had to turn his head to hide his expression as his fingers grazed the lingering warmth. He slipped his arms through the quarter sleeves and settled the garment on his shoulder properly. He kept the belt pieces over his shoulder as he wrapped the tunic, hoping to copy the original wearer in making it look as it was supposed to.

Keith managed that part just barely but then struggled with the fabric belt because it didn’t want to stay put and the tunic would get pulled out of place with all his fumbling. 

Soft laughter reached his ears and he looked up to see Lance already wearing his tunic like he was born to do so, wrap done and everything. The dark red and gold complimented his warm skin even when it didn’t match with his undershirt and otherwise cool-toned fabrics.

“Here.” He stepped up to Keith, took the fabric belt from his hands and wrapped it around his waist. Keith held his breath and didn’t dare move while Lance adjusted the wrapping of the tunic. 

“It has a clasp on the inside so it stays in place,” he explained, nimble fingers hooking the clasp in. “And then you kinda hold down the flap with your elbow and-” he took the rope from Keith’s shoulder and wrapped it around his middle to settle over the belt- “wrap this around, tie it off and- you’re done.” He finished the simple tie and stepped back with a pleased nod. “There you go.”

Keith stared down at himself, not sure he had entirely understood the way to properly dress oneself in true Lance-fashion but he nodded his head anyway. Seeing blue on his person felt foreign and not quite right. The shade clashed with the warm tone of his grey shirt and pants but it didn’t look too bad. It would make it easier to blend in and people wouldn’t care to look close enough to criticize his fashion sense. They’d be too nice to do it in the first place.

Lance pulled his coat on again, hiding the red and gold and looked just like before after adjusting his hair. Keith tried not to feel disappointed - and not to focus too much onto the fact that the clothes he now wore had a distinct scent that must be Lance’s. He had never been close enough to him to be able to compare but it must be.

“Alright, let’s go. I’ll show you the markets. We need a canoe.”

“A canoe?” Keith asked, not liking the idea very much.

Lance laughed. “Yeah, a canoe. True Water Tribe fashion.” He started walking and Keith had no choice but to follow him. He’d need forever to find back to his house otherwise.

Seeing canoes was rather common. The city had big canals running through the street as additional ways of transportation. Non-benders pushed their canoes or small boats with long wooden sticks while waterbenders were able to do so without their help. 

Hunk and Pidge had taken the canoes before. With Hunk being an airbender it had been quite easy to get it moving as well even without prior experience. It was a comfortable and easy way of getting around but Keith preferred walking. He didn’t trust water all too much and wasn’t keen on running his canoe into a wall of ice through a failed attempt at steering. Not to mention he didn’t want to get drenched once his inevitable downfall came upon him. 

Lance, however, seemed used to this way of getting around. He stepped onto a public canoe down at the canal with ease and settled at the back. Keith eyed the unsteady floating device suspiciously.

“Get in, loser,” Lance called. “It’s not going to flip.”

“How do you know?” Keith asked.

“Because I’m a waterbender. Now get in.”

Heaving a heavy breath to show he did not like this, Keith carefully stepped into the canoe and settled down as quickly as he could to keep the center of gravity low. The canoe rocked a bit from side to side but remained steady otherwise. 

Keith risked a glance over his shoulder at Lance who was directing them away from the dock. He followed the gentle motions he did to turn the canoe around and then switch his movements to get them forward. It didn’t feel like Keith would ever be able to do the same this effortlessly, movements smooth and gentle as Lance directed the water beneath them. 

Even with Lance in control, this was still not his preferred mode of transportation though he had to admit he was able to see a lot of the city by traveling through the canals. The older buildings slowly tapered off, the statues got smaller and the architecture less intricate. The big structures disappeared and were taken over by smaller houses. 

He saw a group of kids playing on a playground made of ice, a young man smoking fish and a group of people rebuilding a bridge over a canal. 

It had been easy to keep his head down when he had been walking but now Keith found himself wanting to look at whatever they passed. Some people who noticed them waved because they were friendly like that up here. Lance would smile and waved back, never losing his effortless flow of bending.

No one stared like Keith was different and he allowed himself to relax. To outsiders, they were just two young people getting from one place to another. Nothing special, nothing to stare at. It was nice and he was grateful for the sudden anonymity the color blue had gifted him.

“You see the dome over there, with the spikes?”

Lance’s voice shook Keith out of his thoughts and his eyes searched for the building in question. It was hard to miss, even when he could only see the very top of it. 

“Yeah?”

“It’s the main place to pay homage to the spirits. People go there and ask for good fortune. Usually, they bring fish as a sacrifice.”

It was the first time someone spoke about the more spiritual habits of the people here. Keith had heard the spirits were important to the citizens but hadn’t known anything about this part of the culture. Perhaps he should, as the Avatar, but he was not one to go out of his way to seek social interactions. 

“It’s huge,” he said, eyes still glued to the dome. It stood tall among the other buildings and the ceiling looked to be made of entirely translucent ice. The sun reflected on the surface like a mirror, the light blinding in certain spots but it was beautiful. Twinkling like a jewel above the rooftops in a city of ice. 

Lance hummed. “It is. It’s one of the most important buildings in the city and it took years to complete. It’s been there ever since the city was first called into existence and there is an entire group of specially selected waterbenders tasked with just keeping it maintained and in perfect condition.”

They were going in its direction and Keith hoped they could pass it by so he could see it up close. 

“How old is the city?” he asked.

Lance laughed and the sound made Keith feel giddy inside. “Old. Very old - many centuries. We used to be nomads back in the day - way, way back - but we settled down. According to the scrolls, the spirits selected this place and blessed it when the first people settled here. It’s why the dome was one of the first buildings to be built. To thank them and to show their importance to the city and the people.”

Keith hadn’t seen many places with a dedicated place for the spirits, especially not one this big and breathtaking. Many practiced their spiritual rituals in private and some had even detached themselves from the spiritual beliefs completely. 

To see a city of this size dedicating a grand building just to pay homage to the spirits and to still take care of this ancient relic today was amazing to witness. 

He had never cared for buildings before but now he couldn’t help but want to take it in from up close. “Can we go see it?”

“Of course,” Lance said enthusiastically. “It’s the pride of the city. You have to see it when you’re here, otherwise you can’t say you’ve visited the Northern Water Tribe.”

“What else do you know about it?”

“The kids go there before their exams and tests to ask the spirits for luck and good grades. There are these bells that you ring to ask for their attention, then you tell the spirits what you want and ring the bells again.”

“Does it work?” Keith asked with a smile because he could imagine lots of frantic kids ringing the bells because they hadn’t studied enough. While he hadn’t met any spirits personally yet, he was sure none of them would be thrilled to listen to groups of kids asking for good grades.

Lance laughed again as he steered their canoe down a different canal which took them closer to the dome. The magnificent structure disappeared from view which must mean they were close. “Who knows,” he mused and shrugged his shoulders. The white fur of the collar brushed against his cheeks. “Maybe if you are in the spirits’ good graces but my mom always said the spirits won’t reward bad preparation with good outcomes.”

Keith chuckled. “Smart woman.”

Lance hummed. “She is. Also, there is this tradition on the first day of the new year. People thank the spirits for the last year and wish for good fortune in the next. You offer some money you have made in the last year to thank them and write down what you were thankful for in a letter. Then you can pay to receive a fortune-telling or just leave it as that.”

“What’s a fortune-telling?”

“It’s a slip of paper with something good on it that’s then supposed to come true that year. Like an opportunity or good luck or finding love. Some are very particular about this and wait for it to happen, others don’t purchase one. It’s down to personal preference but since it’s not a direct connection to the spirits and more so a tradition from our people, it doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“Unless you want it to.”

“Exactly.”

Keith hummed. He had to admit it was fascinating to hear about these traditions and the culture. They were lucky if they found someone to tell them anything about a place but often they were left wondering and making guesses. Having someone who had grown up in a place gave you access to more knowledge than you could hope to achieve as a clueless outsider. 

They took another turn and the regular buildings suddenly gave way to an open plain and Keith couldn’t help but let his mouth drop open in awe. 

The dome stood in the middle of a large, otherwise empty space. It was an island with no other building on it, canals running around all sides and many bridges connecting it to the rest of the city. The dome stood tall and proud in the middle, towering above anything else. 

Lance steered their canoe out of the way and anchored them at one of the many anchor spots available. He settled down next to Keith cross-legged, leaving him to take in the sight before them.

The main body of the dome was made up of several stories and layers, all with more than four sides and creating a roughly circular shape. They were not perfectly straight but reached out like the surface of the ocean. Among the waves were symbols and figures, complex depictions that Keith couldn’t give deeper meaning to without more context. One scenario depicted a woman with billowing hair and robes, a hand raised above the people kneeling at her feet. Behind her rose the full moon out of the water.

A set of wide stairs lead up to the entrance, sprawling arches with wild waves crashing against them. People were minging about, some entering the dome while others remained on the open plaza around it. 

Keith hadn’t known there was such a place in the city. He might have seen the top of the dome occasionally out of the corner of his eye but he hadn’t paid it any mind. Now he was grateful for being shown such a gem. It would have been a shame not to see it. 

“These pictures on the walls are supposed to show the founding of the city with the spirits giving their blessing to the people,” Lance said and gestured towards said depictions. 

“It’s beautiful,” Keith said and Lance smiled. 

“Yeah, it really is.” He was silent for a moment before he spoke up again with a more teasing look on his face. “Maybe drop by some time and ask the moon spirit for guidance with your waterbending.”

Keith scoffed and shoved the other’s shoulder who couldn’t help but laugh. 

They stayed for a while, taking in the beauty of this ancient building before Lance reclaimed his spot at the rear of the canoe. He flipped his hood up and steered them towards their original destination; the markets.

Keith had only been in the area once briefly, the stares getting too much too quickly to enjoy the experience but now, with Lance and his newly acquired native clothing, it should be better. Besides, he trusted Lance to show him more of what his city had to offer. Spending time with him was enjoyable and Keith didn’t doubt he’d like whatever the other introduced him to.

Since they had reached the city center more canoes were occupying the canals and the bustle of life had gotten more noticeable. No one disturbed them though, they just greeted and avoided collisions which practiced easy Keith would only dream to obtain. Lance guided them along the waters confidently until they reached the market place. Their canoe was tied up and they climbed the steps to reach street level.

The place was crawling with people of all ages, booths were lining narrow passageways and voices echoed over cheerful music. The smell of food and incense sticks lingered in the air, promising delicious snacks and mouth-watering delicacies you couldn’t get anywhere else in the world.

Keith caught sight of Lance’s brilliant smile and couldn’t help but mirror it. 

“Welcome to the center of our markets; the place you’ll find everything you need,” Lance proclaimed proudly. The hood was still on his head but Keith guessed he either wanted to keep his ears warm or his white hair hidden. He did this occasionally when they were around the busier parts of town so it wasn’t exactly new. 

“Everything?” he asked.

Lance nodded confidently. “Everything. Come on, I’ve got a bunch of food to show you.” He grabbed Keith’s wrist and pulled him into the bustle of people, scents and music.

Keith, of course, first only registered that this was Lance almost holding his hand. He was both excited and grateful because he would have just gotten lost in the sea of people. He followed Lance’s gentle but insistent pull through the bustling passages, eyes getting stuck occasionally on a certain stall. They cut corners, ignoring voices shouting about prices and quality until Lance came to a calm walk and released his hold. 

He’d like to deny it but Keith was quite disappointed and missed the feeling of his fingers around his wrist already. Maybe he could ask Lance to hold onto him so he wouldn’t get lost. He wasn’t brave enough to go through with it though. 

“Over here,” Lance said, pointing towards a booth that was lit up with a warm orange glow coming from a fire pit in the middle. They made their way over, side-stepping oncoming traffic and flipping back and forth between groups of people. 

Once they stood in front of the booth, Keith got a good look at what it was. In the middle was a big fire in a pit with pots and grills hanging above them. Steam rose out from the top and he could feel the heat of the flames. Four people were bustling around, taking orders and readying plates and bowls with food. 

It reminded Keith of the markets he used to sneak around on but the aromas in the air were completely different and people didn’t come across as aggressive. 

“Order?” a young woman called over the sizzling of oil, looking at them what a questioning look. Keith was thrown off guard, having no idea what they even sold.

“One pancake and one fried fish!” Lance called back without hesitation and the woman nodded, turning back around and shouting the order before moving on. 

Lance pulled Keith over to one of the people preparing food. The man who stood behind the counter grabbed a cup and an egg from the side. The egg was cracked into the cup and stirred together with some sort of fruit before being placed aside. Then he took out a moist-looking piece of dough from a container and started kneading it with the palm of his hand on the tabletop. 

“That’s the pancake,” Lance said.

Keith furrowed his eyebrows as he watched the dough get kneaded flat and then repeatedly lifted and slapped back down onto the counter with practiced flicks of the man’s wrist. The dough expanded from the small piece into a big sheet that was paper-thin. The man scooped some butter out of a container and spread it across a round, slightly slanted surface over a fire. It had already started sizzling as he draped the sheet of dough over it. The egg and fruit mixture was spread in the middle of the sheet.

Never before had Keith seen a pancake being prepared like this and he didn’t know how it would taste. He couldn’t tear his eyes away as the dough was fried and then folded. More butter was added before the pancake was flipped. It took less than a minute for it to fry since it was so thin. The outside was golden brown and looked crispy. 

The man lifted it onto a paper sheet and drizzled a light-colored liquid or sauce on top before handing it over. Lance passed it along to Keith and told him not to burn his hands to which he just snorted. 

“Fried fish!” the girl from before called, leaning over next to the man and handing them a skewered and fried fish. An entire fish. Lance exchanged it for a handful of coins and led them off to the side. 

Keith could only eye the fish warily. It was blackened in some places and looked sort of morbid with its mouth wide open and on a stick. 

Lance laughed as he saw his expression and pulled off a piece with his fingers. “Try it,” he said as he plopped it into his mouth. “This first, then the pancake. It’s too hot otherwise.”

He was still feeling suspicious but Keith followed Lance’s example and pulled off a piece of fish. It came apart easier than he would have expected and the inside was light and unblemished. Cautiously he put it in his mouth, first tasting the hint of smoke and charcoal but as soon as he bit down the rich flavor of the fish came through. He chewed for a while, paying attention to each shift in flavor until he swallowed it. 

Lance was already putting another piece into his mouth but raised a curious eyebrow in question.

“It’s… it’s good,” Keith said around the lingering aftertaste and reached out for another piece. He hadn’t realized how hungry he had been until now. Practise had tired him out and used up all of his energy from breakfast. 

A beautiful and pleased smile bloomed on Lance’s face and together they devoured the fish within a few short minutes. 

“Okay, and now something sweet for after,” Lance declared. 

The pancake had been cut into bite-sized pieces and two small wooden sticks could be used as a make-shift fork. It was still hot but pleasantly so. The sweetness immediately canceled out the aftertaste of smoked fish, almost overpowering Keith’s tastebuds with its intensity. 

“Oh wow,” he managed to get out, tasting the dough, the egg and fruit and the sauce which was just a giant blend of sweetness. It had taken him by surprise but the more he chewed the more he found himself liking it. It was a very specific taste and almost overwhelming but it was good after the hearty fish. 

Lance grinned, cheeks squished with food and a bit rosy from the warmth. “This is the best after fish,” he said and Keith nodded in agreement. He hasn’t had much fish before and never a pancake like this but he enjoyed it a lot. 

There was an even amount of pieces but Lance let him have the last two because this was his first Water Tribe pancake. Keith couldn’t say no to that and inhaled them eagerly.

They continued with somewhat sated stomachs afterward, Lance pointing out things native to the tribe such as the old lady selling shimmering blue stones in different shades.

“Those get used for jewelry and betrothal necklaces a lot,” he explained. “You choose a stone that speaks to you and carve something symbolic into it. Then you either weave the band yourself, ask a relative or nowadays you can also get them on the markets.” He gestured towards a basket of soft-looking necklaces next to the stones. “Many of these stones are kept in the family and passed down through generations. Some daughters wear their mother’s or grandmother’s stones as earrings or receive them to their wedding as a good luck charm.”

“Boys don’t get these?” Keith asked curiously. He was sure a necklace would compliment Lance’s eyes beautifully.

Lance hummed thoughtfully. “Some do. It’s a tradition from back in the day where women weren’t allowed to possess their own wealth once they were married. In a pinch, they could sell their betrothal necklaces so it was one way to keep a bit of autonomy. Now it’s just sort of a ritual to give the future wife a necklace. Some men also get one just for the sake of it, others don’t see a point in the tradition if it’s a man so they don’t. Some sons keep the stones or use them to make a new necklace.”

The origin of the tradition had a bit of a sad feel to it but Keith liked how it had persisted until now. The thought of it was nice and he liked the idea of offering such a personal and thoughtful gift for one’s engagement.

“Look, they have knives over there.”

Keith looked at the booth Lance was pointing towards and immediately rushed over with the other hot on his heels. Knives were something very much up his alley and he desperately wanted to look at some. An exciting feeling rose in his chest as he came to a stop and gazed at the displayed blades finished off with different-sized and curved handles. 

Lance caught up to him again and watched in amusement as Keith took everything in and ran his fingers across sharp metal and soft leather. An unconscious smile sneaked onto his face as he spotted one knife in particular.

The blade was rather broad and not very long. Both it and the handle were curved just slightly, light-colored wood sanded smooth with leather wrapped around the hilt. Somehow it spoke to Keith and he picked it up carefully. The salesman just nodded with a smile as he glanced over to ask if this was okay. Given permission, he twirled it around a little, testing its weight and balance. 

Lance watched curiously. Never having held a knife, he didn’t know what to look out for but it certainly seemed like Keith knew what he was doing. He moved with ease and confidently, not flinching away from the sharp blade or the pointy tip. 

“It’s a good knife,” the salesman said. He had a greying beard and eyes that held a lot of wisdom. “Hard-crafted it myself. Very good leather and the blade stays sharp for a long time.”

Keith hummed, looking at the knife from all angles thoughtfully. He came to a conclusion and looked up at the man. “How much for this?”

The man stroked his beard and smiled. “For you, I’ll make a discount.” He named his price and Keith didn’t know whether it was expensive or not. Back at home, he would have known but with the different currency, he couldn’t be sure. Nevertheless, he agreed. The man seemed genuine and Keith, as well as his friends, had been given money for supplies and the like. He hadn’t spent a single coin yet so he should be allowed to indulge in this.

Lance did not make any attempt to stop him from the purchase and did not look like he was disapproving of it so Keith handed the money over. In turn, he received the knife, now sheathed in a soft leather shaft and thanked the man before picking up their calm stroll again.

“I knew you were into knives,” Lance said with a teasing smile once they had walked past a few booths. He bumped their shoulders together.

Keith looked up from his new purchase, brows creasing. “What? Why?”

“Dunno,” Lance chirped. “Just seemed like a you-thing.” His smile made Keith forget about almost everything. “Come on, I’ve got to show you all the clothes and accessories you can get here.”

Keith did not protest as Lance wrapped his fingers around his wrist again and pulled him along.


	2. Chapter Two: The Calm Before The Storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized this is the 70th story that I'm uploading. No longer 69, what a shame.  
> Hope you enjoy~

The banquet was… something.

Keith didn’t know how to feel about this. He didn’t exactly like sitting at the front with all the Important People such as the king and queen and their children. They were all nice, sure, but he felt strange and very much out of place. This fancy gathering was not where he was supposed to be. He wasn’t used to being regarded as someone important and was highly uncomfortable to be treated as such. 

But if your hosts want to throw a lavish party in your honor you kind of have to be present and be grateful. Hence why Keith was doing his best to do his part and be grateful.

The room was marvelous without doubt, torches lighting up the space invitingly with intricate ice sculptures lining the walls that supported the high, arched ceiling. A lot of people were gathered, enjoying the evening together with delicious food and music playing in the background. A few of them had even taken to dancing. 

It was supposed to be a joyful evening but Keith couldn’t help thinking that he missed Lance. Even when his friends were right next to him he felt sort of lonely. Lance would have still felt comfortable with so many unfamiliar people around and would have known how to lighten the mood. He was social and open towards everyone in contrast to Keith who clamped up like a shy plant whenever he was approached by strangers.

There were too many strangers here for his liking. He recognized some of them from the meetings and he knew the royal family somewhat vaguely but not enough for him to feel comfortable striking up a conversation. Thankfully, he didn’t have to since he was seated next to Shiro with Hunk and Pidge flanking his other side. He felt more comfortable in this constellation but still not enough to truly enjoy the spectacle. 

It was just not his thing. He preferred a quiet night with only a few, carefully-selected people over any official gathering and small talk.

Keith sighed heavily, poking his food in a hopefully discreet manner because he didn’t want to offend anyone. He simply didn’t feel like eating a feast right now. Everything looked delicious and Hunk was having a field day about new flavors and ingredients while Pidge tried to keep him from completely dissecting his food. 

It did look good and did taste great but the fish on his plate made Keith think back to the markets and Lance’s brilliant smile when he had introduced him to his first fried fish. While this one might be more expensive and had been prepared with great care, it didn’t spike the same warmth within him. There was simply something about street food that was better than any professional cuisine.

Especially for someone like Keith who didn’t know how to appreciate it. He was used to taking whatever he could get on the streets and while Hunk was an excellent cook, he had to make do with what they could afford or find on their travels. Needless to say, Keith had rarely experienced gourmet cuisine and he was decidedly not the biggest fan. 

Shiro was meanwhile chatting with a few high-ranking officials. He felt at home with people who did not look down on him and who valued his experience even if it had come from a bad place. His knowledge about the soldiers of the Fire Nation was invaluable to those who prepared to intercept the incoming attacks. Usually, they talked strategies and exchanged details but today there was light conversation and laughter. 

A nice change of pace, especially for those who were dealing with the war on most days.

Shiro was a social and kind person so it was no surprise he managed to keep up even with mindless chatter and small talk. Keith envied him for it sometimes.

He had listened in on the conversation for a while but had gotten bored and sighed heavily. The fish on his plate stared back at him like it was offended it wasn’t being devoured with vigor and Keith contemplated giving it to Hunk to escape the piercing look of its dull eyes.

Maybe he could just… disappear without anyone noticing?

A look around proved this idea to be rather foolish. He was seated at the very front and elevated like he was something to stare at. Standing up and sneaking away would attract a lot of attention, not to mention it would be incredibly rude.

Keith rested his cheek on his palm and waited for this to be over. His eyes traveled across the room lazily, staring at people but none of them were particularly interesting. Once the sweep was completed he got stuck on the royals who were seated at the front with them.

The king was talking to one of his many advisors when something distracted him and he straightened up. “Lancito.”

Everyone close by followed the king’s gaze towards a hooded figure who had tried to sneak away. They froze immediately and Keith raised a curious eyebrow. Something interesting was happening at long last. Finally. He sat up a bit more.

“Yes?” the figure asked without turning around. The voice sounded awfully familiar and Keith squinted at their back. With their hood covering up their head, there were sadly not many features to identify.

The king didn’t look impressed at all. “I believe you were told to attend the banquet. In-person.”

“Uhh… yeah. I’m here?” It was more of a question than a confirmation. Apparently not enough for the king. He shared a tired look with his wife before speaking up again. “You are being rather disrespectful towards our guests, son. Sit down.”

Son?

Keith was sure all of the royals were present.

“But dad!” 

The figure turned around and Keith almost choked on his breath. He knew that voice had been familiar but he hadn’t realized that it was _Lance_. Or Lancito? He wasn’t sure but he knew the guy who had just tried to sneak away had introduced himself as Lance and had taught him waterbending every day for the last three weeks. 

Usually he wore casual clothes but right now he was wearing royal attire. Dark blue fabrics with silver stitching and striking white fur from polar bear dogs. He even had on his tiara, a unique design for all princes and princesses. His was a delicate silver headpiece with an arrangement of blue topazes in the middle. It was startlingly similar to his eyes and glinted in the light. 

It was strange to see him in these clothes. Keith had never even thought about Lance being royalty - though he did have the ethereal look. He had never been present at gatherings and no one had ever mentioned him. He himself hadn’t mentioned being a prince and slowly Keith got the feeling he preferred it that way. Just like he didn’t enjoy everyone knowing he was the Avatar.

“No buts,” the king said sternly and Lance pouted, pushing the hood off his head and revealing his blinding white hair. Something in his jacket moved and a small, fluffy, white… something crawled out from under the fabric. Of course Lance would have an animal with him, he had a strange affinity for connecting with all of them. He occasionally picked up a stray and would bring it to practice like it was nothing. 

While he had been introduced to some of the native animals, Keith had never seen this one before but it looked adorable. It had big ears and pitch-black eyes.

“Lance,” the king sighed as Lance stalked over to the table with his animal companion. 

“What was that? Blue is allowed at the table? Oh, how very nice of you to invite us.” He flopped down with a huff and started brooding, the animal seated on his shoulder and smushing its face into his cheek. His siblings and mother were more than used to this as it seemed and just sighed. The king had seemingly also given up and gone back to talking with his advisors. 

Keith couldn’t help but stare. For one, he was slightly horrified about what had just transpired but he also wasn’t too shocked. Getting to know the other was royalty was both absurd and fitting. Absurd because Lance was free-spirited and adventurous. He valued his freedom and did not like abiding by rules. Even his waterbending was nothing like the traditional techniques. 

Fitting because while he did seem carefree, he held himself with a sort of natural grace and ease. He never came across as posh but Keith could spot the polished mannerisms peeking through now and then. He had a vast knowledge of the city, the people and their traditions. Surely some of it was taught at school but Lance seemed more connected with it.

Imagining him as a prince was foreign but not outlandish enough to call it a fever dream. Keith wondered what this meant for… for them. For their practices and their friendship.

Was Lance not allowed to be friends with him? He couldn’t see any reason why not but you could never be sure. If it were the case, Keith would be devastated. He’d be more than willing to keep it a secret - or to continue to keep it a secret? - but it would leave a sour aftertaste in his mouth. 

He hoped it wasn’t the case.

Lance noticed Keith’s piercing gaze at some point and turned his head to meet his eyes. He was surprised at first, maybe even a bit self-conscious but then he just sent him a very loaded smile as if to say “sorry” and “fancy seeing you here” both at once. A very typical Lance-thing to do.

Keith raised an unimpressed eyebrow, demanding some sort of answer to the unasked question but the other merely sighed and looked away. 

For the rest of the banquet, Keith tried to figure out if he had missed any big hints, like Lance mentioning it in passing, but he didn’t think he was that bad at paying attention - especially concerning Lance. He also tried not to freak out about the fact that he had been casually hanging out with a prince all this time, speaking to him freely and even mock fighting with him. He felt like Shiro and everyone else would be sorely disappointed in him and his behavior towards a royal. 

His only comfort was that Lance had never attempted to correct him. If anything, he had enjoyed Keith’s company no matter how carefree he had acted. He had encouraged the fights to some degree, taunting Keith until he snapped and sent some fire his way.

It had been unplanned, entirely on instinct and the same second he had released the flames his heart had dropped into his gut. What if he hurt the other?

But of course, he hadn’t had to worry. Lance had simply held off and quenched the flames with a wall of water and a cheerful laugh. Keith hadn’t been worried about doing something like this again afterward but now it seemed highly inappropriate.

He decided he needed answers and vowed to get them as soon as possible - after the banquet. 

Which proved to be quite a bit more difficult than anticipated because Lance was a master at the act of disappearing even with his unusual hair. It shouldn’t come as a surprise by now. Keith only spotted him because of the animal still seated on his shoulder and hurried after him. It took a while but he caught up just before Lance could disappear between two buildings.

“You’re a prince.”

Lance froze and slowly turned his head around to Keith. He eyed him uncertainly for a moment before his expression turned into a defensive one. “Oh really? I hadn’t noticed. Thanks for telling me.” There was an edge to his voice Keith hadn’t heard before but he didn’t dwell on it.

He ignored the attempt to be evasive. “You _could_ have told me.”

Sure, he would have had a mental breakdown on the spot but he would have dealt with it somehow… even if poorly.

Lance huffed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, no.” He waved his hand dismissively and crossed his arms in front of his chest. His gaze was stuck on the ground. “I’m the youngest. I’m like… least important. Besides, being royalty or not doesn’t change shit. Everyone has these responsibilities and stuff, I’m just in the way all the time so I’m off doing my own thing. I don’t have to be a prince to do that.”

It was true. Keith had seen Lance helping out wherever he could. The people liked him and no one treated him much differently. He played with the kids, helped with his waterbending and took care of stray animals. Keith had seen him with enough animals to know they were naturally drawn to him. He was a kind and gentle soul hidden underneath a sassy exterior. No one ever addressed him as a prince and he was more than cool with kids throwing snowballs as him. He’d even join them and throw them into heaps of snow as a game. They loved him.

In hindsight, it made sense that Lance tended to hide his hair under his hood in busier areas. He, just like Keith, didn’t like being recognized as who they were. They wanted to blend in.

“Still could have told me, your highness,” Keith dared to tease with a mocking bow. It didn’t sound like Lance had taken any offense to his previous behavior and he didn’t feel like changing it now even when he felt a bit unsure about this new dynamic. Acting like they were still the same as before might help and teasing was a big part of it.

Lance sent him an unimpressed look. “If you call me that again, I’ll stop teaching you.”

Keith didn’t like that at all. He frowned and he might have pouted unconsciously. “Don’t you dare. Your brother is a great teacher but I… I just don’t get him.” 

Luis was all about a calm mind and doing things the way the scrolls said. Keith was all about intuitive reactions, gut feeling and just… instincts. Luis didn’t work with these things, his style of bending and teaching was so vastly different from Keith’s own that it prevented him from learning much. His lessons were helpful in theoretical aspects but actually doing it was not going to work with just this approach. 

This is why he was so thankful to Lance who had managed to figure out what he needed within just a few minutes. Before him, Keith had been convinced he was hopeless and would never master waterbending. Now, he could do a few things and he saw improvements. He didn’t have the heart to mention it to Luis who was always ecstatic with each new improvement.

Losing Lance as a teacher would mean going back to not achieving anything. Not only could Keith not risk slowing his learning, but he also didn’t want to stop seeing Lance almost daily. He enjoyed their time a lot.

“Yeah, I know,” Lance sighed. “Everyone learned the old-school way with scrolls and stuff. I just… do it, you know?” He moved his hand in a fluid motion and droplets of water gathered around his fingertips until he dropped them again. “Figured you were the same. No surprise with your firebending background.”

Keith crooked his head, not knowing what he meant. Lance shrugged, the animal’s large ears bouncing up and down with the movement. “You just… I saw you firebending with Shiro and it’s all about…” he gestured aimlessly, impersonating what was apparently supposed to be firebending moves. Keith frowned in disapproval. “Like you feel it inside of you and push it out. With water, you have to pick it up and let it in. It’s the complete opposite. If you only know one, I imagine it’s extremely difficult to get the other one.”

That… made a lot of sense. Keith had never thought about waterbending and firebending working in opposite ways. Lance might not seem like the type of guy who was very attentive to such small details but he was. He picked up on the smallest clues easily, a trait Keith wished he had. 

“So, you will continue teaching me?” he asked and Lance looked surprised. 

“Really? You… still want me to?” He sounded unsure but hopeful. 

Keith didn’t know what reason he had to feel this way so he couldn’t help a chuckle escaping him. “Yeah, why not? You’re honestly the only one who gets how to teach me stuff. If it weren’t for you, I’d still be trying to get something from a puddle.”

Lance smiled softly, looking relieved, and nodded his head. “Alright, but don’t let Luis find out. He’s nice ‘n all but… he’s next in line for the throne so if people know I’m taking his tasks from him it’s… gonna end up in a fight. Not a good look.”

So his hunch had been somewhat right. Keith couldn’t imagine a huge fight breaking out but he did understand how hierarchies worked so he nodded his head. There was no reason to bring unnecessary conflict to the table. 

“My lips are sealed,” he promised and Lance smiled gratefully.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Keith trudged along the riverbank mindlessly, kicking small heaps of snow with the tip of his boots. He didn’t have to look up because people naturally avoided him, especially when he was like this. Apparently, his aura was a bit… menacing according to Shiro. Pidge usually called him “a grumpy bitch”.

Maybe he was grumpy, he didn’t know. He just knew that today was not one of his best days. 

Training with Hunk was usually not much of a deal. The other was a sweetheart and a gentle soul, much like Mochi. He taught with ease and a lightness that Keith could only dream to attain. Maybe it had to do with Hunk’s upbringing. Living in a selfless community where “mine is mine and yours is yours” didn’t need to exist was bound to shape a person. 

Hunk had originally struggled with Keith’s personality. They got along just fine but Keith’s impulsiveness and almost explosive temper were to Hunk like a ticking time bomb in his hands. He didn’t know how to handle him, didn’t want to be rude and took cautious steps like he was scared of making his student blow up.

Keith hadn’t noticed at first, hadn’t realized Hunk didn’t know how to handle him. He had just noticed that their lessons weren’t working and that he was growing increasingly frustrated with himself and the other. He felt like Hunk wasn’t helping him which was stupid in hindsight but frustration made people think the strangest things. 

After an outburst and Keith yelling he wasn’t a monk and couldn’t float like a stupid leaf in the wind, Hunk had taken a long look at him and said “I don’t think this is going to work”.

Keith had been pulled out of his stupor quite violently, the flame inside of him diminishing into a faint flicker. All fury evaporated into thin air and his head cleared up.

“What?” he had asked, confused and surprised. Shiro had never given up on him, Pidge hadn’t either. Why… why was Hunk giving up? 

Hunk had sighed heavily, not liking this conversation one bit but it had built up over weeks and he was at the end of his rope. 

“I can’t teach you if you don’t listen to me. I get you’re a firebender and stuff, I do, but… I can only teach you what I know. I don’t know how to make fire into air, that’s something you have to figure out on your own.”

Keith had blinked at him, perplexed, not quite understanding. “I mean… yeah… I’m trying to do what you’re telling me.”

Hunk had looked at him completely unconvinced. “Really? Because every time I try to help you, you either snap or blow up.”

It had taken Keith a while to understand what the other had meant. He hadn’t noticed doing that but only because he was so used to doing it. He was used to yelling and showing his frustration. Usually, it wasn’t a problem. Shiro would tell him to get his head on straight and cool off, Pidge would kick his shin and leave him to sort himself out if they had had enough of his rants. 

Hunk had never done such a thing. He had stood there, listening to Keith complain and breathe fire when he was particularly frustrated. He had never said anything, he had always just tried to continue with the lesson, give Keith advice but it had gone nowhere. 

Obviously, because Keith knew that when he was frustrated he took advice like a personal insult. It only riled him up further but… that was no excuse to act this way. Just because he was prone to doing it and because two people could handle it didn’t mean everyone else should be expected to just deal with it either. 

“I…” He hadn’t known what to say. 

“I’m trying to help you,” Hunk had said. “But I feel like you don’t want my help so… if you don’t need it then I guess you don’t need me to be your teacher.”

It had been like a cold bucket of water dumped on him in the early morning. Keith had been shocked. He had never expected a potential teacher to… to quit.

“Hunk, I… I… I don’t want you to quit,” Keith had stammered, eyes wide and thoughts scattered. 

Hunk had still worn that unimpressed expression. It had looked foreign on his face, even after knowing him for only a few weeks. He was usually cheerful and upbeat. He found the good in everything even when he was a bit of a scaredy-cat sometimes. 

“Really?” he had asked. “Because you’re doing a good job at making me want to quit. You’re not listening to anything and just going off doing your own thing. There is a way to learning airbending and I know it’s not in your nature to be patient and gentle but maybe for once just try doing things differently. You won’t get anywhere with airbending like _this_.” He had gestured to Keith.

He had left Keith to think about his words and boy, had he thought hard about them. Ramming his head through a wall had worked with earthbending after a while of trial and error. Strength and impulsiveness worked there but not every element was the same. While there were different styles, there was a base that couldn’t be ignored. Air was different from fire and earth. 

At that point, Keith hadn’t even wanted to think about learning waterbending.

He had taken the rest of the day to think about Hunk’s words, considering what he could do and how to move forward. He was not used to being the one tasked with this, often enough someone else did the planning and the thinking for him. It had been strange, having to decide what to do. 

He hadn’t even been sure if Hunk had still wanted to be his teacher but couldn’t have imagined looking for someone else.

So, Keith had taken it upon himself to seek out Hunk and try to explain and also apologize. He had told him that he had permission to tell Keith straight out when he was being an ass. He had told him to please not give up on him, that he’d try harder to listen and… do things the way airbenders did. He had told him he was sorry for the way he had acted. He had asked Hunk to please stay with them and continue teaching Keith. 

Hunk had considered his words carefully and had said he’d have to think it over.

The next morning he had told Keith to come with him to meditate and while Keith had no desire to meditate he had joined him. He hadn’t complained and he had stayed quiet. It hadn’t given him much new insight but Hunk had told him afterward he’d give it another shot. 

“Just… please talk to me, okay?” he had asked and Keith had promised to do so. 

It hadn’t been all smooth sailing from there but they had worked it out. Occasionally though, Keith was too caught up in his head to stay calm. Hunk would end the lessons early when he felt like he wasn’t getting through to him. 

It was what had happened today. It hadn’t happened in a while but Keith was too wired and occupied with his own thoughts to keep an open mind. He was grumpy today and he didn’t want to take it out on anyone. 

He was annoyed that the lesson had ended early. Not really because he had wanted to keep on training, but because it meant he wasn’t paying attention and not able to achieve much today. He was already struggling with waterbending, he didn’t want to struggle with the elements he was supposed to have down. 

Learning an element within a few months was impossible, he knew that. It was why they traveled as a group and practiced continuously. He could still improve his firebending and he had been doing that for a while. 

One was never done learning, as Shiro put it so wisely. 

Keith heaved a sigh and kicked another pile of snow. 

Right.

Maybe he wanted to be done though. He was supposed to master all the elements within the shortest amount of time possible. What had taken other Avatars years to achieve, he was supposed to do within months. Sure, no pressure or anything. 

Not to mention he felt downright inadequate for the job. If he could he’d hand it off to someone else, the world would be better off then. 

Sadly, “Avatar” was not a title that could be handed over to someone else. 

The Fire Nation would have loved to do that. Finding out the Avatar was an orphan boy from the streets was a culture shock to those in power. The hunt for him had been the only goal. Capture him and… Keith wasn’t sure what they had planned to do.

Make him a tool? A weapon for the nation? Kill him?

He knew their intentions hadn’t been good and he hadn’t wanted to be captured like a feral animal. For days he had been able to hide but with everyone on the lookout for him, he hadn’t been able to keep it up. 

A troop had sniffed him out - or rather cornered him. They had chased him around until he was exhausted and scared. About fifteen people had him cornered and there had been nowhere to go. Keith had been able to firebend even back then, he had figured it out a few basics early on, but he had been no match against experienced soldiers. He wouldn’t have gone down without a fight but he knew he wouldn’t have made it against all of them. 

Shiro had been the one to get him out of there.

He had been a soldier as well but his consciousness hadn’t allowed him to be complicit any longer. He had gone against his own people - and he had paid the price for it. The scar on his face was a reminder from that fight and the loss of his arm a reminder for the following days where they tried desperately to escape. They were reminders that Shiro had committed the highest degree of treason against his nation and people.

They were a reminder to Keith that without Shiro, he wouldn’t be here today and that he has almost lost him once. 

He shook his head. Those memories should be left alone. Shiro had never regretted what he had done and Keith was forever grateful the other had pulled through.

It’s why he needed to master all the elements, why he needed to keep going, do his best and not give up just because he felt fate was unfair. There were people out there who needed him, people who were suffering and waiting to be freed, innocent people who couldn’t defend themselves. He had been one of them once, he hadn’t been able to defend himself and without Shiro, he would have suffered a similar fate to all those other people. 

Keith had a responsibility and a duty as the Avatar to help.

Sometimes he just needed time to reignite his flame, to find the strength to continue and sometimes there were days where it felt impossible to do so. 

Today was one of those days. He felt defeated and small and Hunk had told him to go on a walk and clear his head. It had never worked quite as well for Keith as it seemed to do for Hunk but he had still taken the advice. 

A walk seemed more reasonable than yelling at ice statues. The Northern Water Tribe provided many of these but even Keith wasn’t desperate enough to take out his frustrations on the three-dimensional depiction of a human-sized koi fish. He still wondered why there were so many koi fish in the city. He was sure there was an apparent lack of them in these icy waters.

Out of nowhere, something slushy and wet collided with the side of his head, knocking him out of his thinking and making him stumble. Whatever it was crumbled and fell to the ground while some of it stuck to his hair and face. 

It took a moment for Keith to come out of his stunned freeze, wiping over the cold substance and looking at his hand to see it covered with water and snow.

Had… someone thrown a snowball at him?

With a frown, both confused and annoyed - and his flame reignited - he looked towards his right to spot the offender. Staring back at him in shock was a gaggle of small kids. The one in the middle looked especially horrified. It must have been the one to throw the snowball but judging from the shocked looks and silence settled over all of them, he must not have meant to hit Keith but rather the girl in the line of fire. 

Either the young boy had bad aim or the girl had ducked out of the way at the last second. 

Whatever the reason, Keith had been hit with a snowball when he had least expected it. If it had been someone else he would have lost his cool and probably yelled at them but these were kids. The annoyance dimmed down a little because it had been an accident, not someone acting with an agenda. These kids were just playing around and having fun. They hadn’t meant to hit him and they didn’t deserve to get yelled at. He didn’t want to yell at anyone.

Keith probably did look like he was going to yell at them though, he knew his scowl was nothing to take lightly, so he made an effort to relax his expression and appear unconcerned. He shook his head to get some bits of snow dislodged from his hair and then bent down to gather some snow and make a snowball of his own. While he shaped it between his hands he looked up at the group of kids who were watching him nervously. 

“Okay, who threw that?” he asked, making sure his voice wasn’t angry. There were worse things out there that could have happened. Being hit by a ball of snow was neither harmful nor a crime. Especially around these parts of the world, it was almost a normal way of greeting among the kids. Sometimes there was a full-blown snowball war in alleyways with groups of kids hiding behind snowbanks and a flurry of snow being thrown back and forth. You should avoid those areas for your own safety. 

Even adults sometimes threw snowballs and if you met a bender who was feeling especially cheeky that day, you wouldn’t be safe from some snow, no matter the age of either party.

It took the kids a few beats to grasp what was going on but then one after another started pointing at the kid in the middle. Sneaky little traitors. The poor boy looked scandalized and started to deny it while Keith just smirked at him, letting him sweat for a moment and then threw the snowball - not with too much force of course. 

It hit the boy square in the chest and he squeaked. “I didn’t mean to hit you!” he called, waving his arms around frantically. 

The other kids snickered.

Keith smiled smugly, please with his aim. “Well, you did which means you declared war.” He scooped up some more snow. “Who else was in on this, huh?”

The kids started shrieking and pointing at different people. They ran around frantically, desperate to get their weapons ready and somehow they ended up in a snowball fight. 

There was snow stuck in Keith’s hair, he could feel the cold droplets sliding down his neck but he didn’t care. Just because he was the Avatar didn’t mean he was above a good snowball fight. Whoever thought that was downright stupid.

As he soon figured out though, the kids had far more experience. They worked as teams, preparing snowballs like well-oiled machines while others threw them with mind-blowing accuracy. Keith had to admit he was no match for the combined strength of ten kids and maybe this was his old age speaking, but he was running out of breath.

Cold, red hands worked tirelessly to shape and throw new projectiles but he was at a clear disadvantage. The kids were a force to be reckoned with and Keith realized he might have to do a tactical retreat.

To where though?

There were only narrow alleyways around or the river below the street level. He could never steer a boat nor outrun the kids who knew these alleys like the pockets on their coats. He managed to hide behind a wall and catch his breath for a second but it was only a matter of time before they found him again. 

“Fuck,” he huffed, half laughing in disbelief. Who would have thought he’d end up like this? Overpowered by a group of kids. He shook his head, dislodging some more snow.

The voice of a kid shouted something close by. Keith feared he would be found within the next few seconds.

“Need a hand?”

A high-pitched yelp escaped him as he whipped his head around to where that voice had come from. He came face to face with Lance’s mischievous grin and his heart barely managed to settle down. It always just spiked whenever he saw Lance. His hood was pulled up so his hair was hidden, soft white fur framing his face instead.

Keith pulled a much-needed breath into his lungs and put a hand on his chest to calm his heart down. He feared it would just jump out of its cage at any moment. 

“They are vicious,” he huffed and Lance snickered. 

“Yeah, everyone knows not to get into a snowball fight with the kids without backup.”

“Well, seems like I didn’t get the memo.”

Another snicker escaped Lance.

“There he is!”

Keith whipped his head around to a kid who stood at the end of the alleyway, pointing at him triumphantly. 

“Oh shit.”

“Come on!” Lance grabbed his wrist and yanked him up onto his feet swiftly. 

“They’re escaping!” the kid shrieked. “He has backup!”

Footsteps could be heard and more kids appeared, all armed with snowballs. Keith feared for his life.

“ATTACK!” one girl yelled and the horde of kids charged with loud battle cries. 

Keith escaped a squeak and Lance laughed loudly. “Hold on!”

Keith wanted to ask what he was supposed to hold on to but realized he was holding Lance’s hand. Skin to skin. A gurgle escaped him but he didn’t have time to be embarrassed because the gurgle turned into a choked shriek as Lance jumped down into the river with him.

Well, not the river per se. It seemed like it but Lance moved his arm gracefully and they landed on an upwards-reaching wave of ice. They slithered along with their momentum, the ice extending upwards on the other side of the river and catapulting them onto the opposite street. 

It all happened too fast to process, Keith had no idea what had just happened but Lance continued running once they had permanently solid ground under their feet again. The kids yelled at them to get back and called them cheaters. A snowball sailed past Keith’s head but it was the last projectile thrown their way before they rounded a corner and left the line of fire. 

Lance ran with him in tow for a while before coming to a stop and pushing the hood off his head. The brilliant grin was still on his face while Keith tried desperately to catch his breath and not die because of the butterflies tumbling off over themselves in his stomach. 

“That was fun.”

Keith just wheezed in protest. He needed a while to get his breathing under control and slow down his rapidly beating heart as much as possible. A difficult task when he was around Lance but he tried. 

“Thanks for the rescue,” he huffed. “But next time don’t jump into the river please.”

“Oh, come on.” Lance pushed at his shoulder. “How’d you end up in a snowball fight anyway? All I heard was the Avatar was being assaulted by a group of kids. Didn’t expect that to happen.”

Keith snorted. Of course, it would spread like wildfire. Gossip was on another level up here. “Just happened.” He shrugged. “Someone hit me, I retaliated. Defending my honor.”

Lance pursed his lips in an attempt to hide his laugh. “Sure, you did a great job.”

“I had it under control.”

“Of course.”

“I mean it.”

“Mhm.”

Keith huffed but couldn’t do anything to prevent the smile sneaking onto his face.

Lance looked at him intently, the amount of soft fondness in his blue eyes making Keith feel hot. He only noticed he was actually getting physically hot when steam rose up from his clothes. Thankfully he didn’t burn them and only evaporated the molten snow clinging to the fabric. He wasn’t sure if it was possible to set your clothes on fire but he didn’t want to test it. 

Thankfully, Lance didn’t seem to realize why Keith was steaming and just assumed he was doing it on purpose. “Neat.” He gave an impressed nod. 

Keith smiled and hoped his hair wouldn’t catch on fire. 

“I actually wanted to show you something,” Lance said. “Before I had to rescue you and your honor. I thought it might… help with waterbending.”

“Oh.” Keith blinked in surprise. An hour ago he wouldn’t have wanted to hear anything about bending at all but now… It was Lance so whatever he suggested Keith would want to do just to spend time with him but spending time with him and getting shown something new sounded even better. 

Last time he had been introduced to the dome and the markets. He had gotten a fish and a knife. Whatever this was, it must be good as well. 

“Sure,” Keith said easily. Spending time with Lance was not something he had to consider very long. Not at all, actually. If Pidge were here they would have laughed, Keith could hear their cackle echoing in his head like a mocking reminder of his incompetence.

Lance looked pleased and tilted his head to show where he wanted to go. Keith followed easily, their arms brushing against each other as they walked. He wanted to reach for Lance’s hand again, intertwine their fingers like they were a couple or on the way to be one but he was too much of a coward to go through with it. 

Lance was touchy, he knew that much. He didn’t mind holding hands, hugging or just casual touches. Keith didn’t know if he was only this way with him or with everyone but it seemed like something Lance would do with whoever was comfortable with it. 

He didn’t flirt but then again, neither did Keith. He wasn’t sure if he was sending any signals or if it was all in his head. He didn’t know if Lance noticed something but if he did he wasn’t pushing Keith away actively. If anything, it felt like he was seeking him out. He came up with things to do outside of their sessions and he genuinely enjoyed spending time with Keith. Otherwise he wouldn’t do this. Lance was nice but he wasn’t so nice that he’d willingly spend time with people he didn’t like. 

Nevertheless, as much as Keith liked just saying whatever was on his mind, he was scared to voice anything of a more intimate nature with Lance. He was content to enjoy whatever they had right now and… hope for the best. Nothing had changed after he had found out Lance was a prince and he still felt just as comfortable around him. They might have even grown a bit closer.

But he was aware they wouldn’t stay at the north pole forever, Pidge was already going crazy over the lack of actual earth, but Keith didn’t like thinking about leaving or the Fire Nation which was the more pressing matter. 

If he started thinking about it, he’d get all gloomy and then anxious. He had never been involved with the Fire Nation military directly or at least not in huge numbers but he imagined an invasion like this would require a large number of soldiers. He didn’t know what to expect and he didn’t know how it would end. Shiro always turned somber and serious when the topic came up.

There… there would be lives lost, that was certain. Keith didn’t want to think about the fact than any of them could be among those. 

He risked a look at Lance who was oblivious to his spiraling thoughts. Keith chose not to indulge them any further as today felt like a day where he was prone to spiraling deeper into the abyss. Instead, he noticed the hairband Lance wore which made him feel all warm again. Without thinking he reached out to touch it.

Lance obviously noticed and turned towards him with an adorably curious look on his face. Keith’s heart fluttered and he did his best not to look all dopey. 

“Is- uh… it’s- it’s cute,” he blabbered helplessly. He pulled his hand back before he could do something more embarrassing - like run it through Lance’s hair. He wanted to though. The white strands looked incredibly soft.

Lance blinked, clearly surprised before he smiled and Keith’s ears rang loudly. 

“Thanks.”

Keith needed to look away to cool off and avoided looking at Lance too much for the remainder of their walk, staring at the ground pointedly. This also meant he almost missed the other stopping and was surprised to find himself in front of a tall building. His gaze raked over it, taking notice of the blue-tinted walls and the decorations reminding him of the buildings at the outer edges of the city where they usually practiced. 

The architecture was similar to those buildings which let Keith assume it was either old or held special importance. Similarly to the dome perhaps. 

“What’s this?” he asked.

Lance gestured towards the building. “Knowledge.”

Keith frowned. “Knowledge?”

“Yeah, all the knowledge of the Water Tribe is kept in this building. Everything you could possibly think of.”

“Everything?” Keith asked. “Like at the market?”

Lance laughed. “Similarly, I guess.” He beckoned Keith to follow him. “Come on, there’s something I’ve got to show you.”

They entered the building and it looked even grander on the inside. Tall columns supported the ceiling, winding stairs led up to higher levels and the walls were lined with bookshelves or carved depictions. Statues guarded the entrance and the stairs while lamps illuminated the space and gave it a warm feeling. 

“It’s a library,” Keith realized. 

“It is,” Lance agreed. “We tend to call it Knowledge but yeah, it’s a library.” He looked up and turned on the spot slowly. Keith followed his example, his eyes switching back and forth in an attempt to soak up every little detail. It was impossible because there was simply too much of it. Even the ceiling was covered in carvings and depictions. They must represent more tales and stories about this place.

“Everyone has a right to Knowledge,” Lance said. “If someone can seek knowledge they can educate themselves and make better conscious decisions. So when they first realized the importance of education, our ancestors built this and allowed everyone to come here to seek or to contribute. It was expanded several times already which is why some parts of it look newer than others but the tradition persists.”

“So everyone, no matter who is allowed to come here?” Keith asked. He was used to the concept of libraries, they existed in most parts of the world but he hadn’t seen one this grand yet. Not just this but often they were a luxury offered only to those who held the right social status.

He agreed with Lance that education was a key factor to more conscious people. Which is also the reason why strict regimes often forbad citizens they didn’t think of as worthy or loyal from seeking education of any kind. Those without knowledge were easier to control. 

Keith himself had been in such a position before and he knew it was one of the reasons why the Fire Nation was so strict about the kind of education their people received. It was either altered or changed completely depending on what kind of image they wanted to draw. In their eyes, they were the saviors of the world and brought prosperity. It saddened him to know some people believed it and didn’t know any better.

The people of the Fire Nation were sometimes just as much of a victim of their own regime as those places that had been invaded.

This made clear just how different the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe were. One forbade its citizens from education, the other encouraged everyone to seek it and offered it for free.

“Of course,” Lance said brightly. He wouldn’t know it was different in other parts of the world. “Some sections are restricted because they are not appropriate for everyone but once you are a certain age and have proven to be responsible you are allowed to see them.”

He approached a set of stairs with Keith following him. Lance knew where he was going and led him to one of the older sections. An archway divided it from the hall with sprawling waves on both sides. The inside was vast, the bookshelves were filled to the brim with scrolls.

Lance turned to Keith with a wide grin and spread his arms wide. “Welcome to the waterbending section!”

Keith blinked and took another look around. Most of the scrolls did have the insignia of this or their sister tribe on them.

“You want me to read scrolls?” he asked in disbelief. He had assumed Lance knew he was not of the kind to learn anything new by indulging in books. 

The other waved his hand around. “Not really, no. I myself didn’t learn much from them _but_ -” he held up a finger. “Wait here.” He turned and walked into the room without another word. 

Keith had no choice but to do as told, he didn’t want to get lost in between shelves and dusty books. He’d never find his way back out this maze because the building was huge. For a lack of a better thing to do, he stepped up to one of the shelves and let his eyes trail over the scrolls. Some had descriptions on them, others were blank. A few were displayed and showed detailed drawings of waterbending moves. 

He attempted to copy them absentmindedly, not caring about the lack of actual water in his vicinity. The moves did remind him of things he had seen Luis do. Perhaps they were part of the old-school techniques everyone was so adamant about. 

Another huge scroll was titled “The Beginning Of Waterbending” and Keith was actually a bit curious. It looked like it would take weeks to read though and he did not want to spend that amount of time on it. Maybe Luis would know some stuff, he was the kind of guy who would be interested and educated in this. Lance maybe as well but probably not as accurate as his brother. He tended to summarize things and make them easier to understand but might also leave out some details. 

Besides, everyone recounted history a little differently. It should be objective but oftentimes the brain juggled several things at once and they would get muddled. 

If you can’t get it from the first and original source, take it with a grain of salt. Even then it might be a biased view.

Keith was so entranced by looking at the scrolls he completely missed Lance coming back.

“Here we go.”

It shook him out of his thoughts and he turned around to Lance who was holding a set of scrolls with a happy expression on his face. He nudged Keith over to a table and sat them down.

“What’s this?” Keith asked curiously, picking one of them up to take a look at the inscription on the side. “The Journey To The Water?”

Lance nodded with an excited expression. He made both of them sit down and picked a random scroll. “These are from the Avatar four generations before you.”

“What?!”

“They are like… really old,” Lance said with a breathy laugh. “And they are not exactly accurate anymore but the guy spent years up here and he wrote these-” he waved the scroll around- “in his free time. There are several parts and I don’t expect you to read them all or anything, I just thought these might help you. Advice from firebender to firebender, I guess.” He shrugged his shoulders. 

Keith was left speechless. He was aware he was a reincarnation but he had never considered… any sort of interaction with his past lives. He hadn’t thought much about them but people tended to tell him he should have a connection to them. He had never felt anything of the sorts consciously though. 

Seeing these scrolls in front of him was both personal and incredibly foreign. His past life had written these, therefore Keith should feel connected to them? He wasn’t sure it worked that way. He didn’t even know what he was feeling. 

“You don’t have to read them, obviously. I don’t know if that’s like… weird,” Lance said quietly as he took notice of Keith’shesitation. “It’s just… the closest to comparing experiences, I guess. Usually, it’s from waterbender to waterbender but this guy was going through something similar as you are right now… without the war of course.” Lance cringed even as he said this and decided to remain silent afterward. 

Keith was still unsure about how to react to this. Lance was right though, this was the closest comparison they had. Even when it was hundreds of years old.

Maybe.

He didn’t know how long the past Avatars had lived.

More cautiously than before, he picked up a scroll again and opened it carefully. The thick paper crinkled as it was unrolled and revealed neat handwriting. The ink had started to lose some of its vibrancy but that was to be expected. Keith doubted these scrolls saw much daylight nowadays but even then the color would fade a bit. 

_I have spent long days attempting to perfect the art of ice sculpting myself. A truly refined artistic expression of oneself. The delicacy it requires, combined with the act of molding water into a desired silhouette has entranced me and I wish to master this skill._

Keith grimaced at the words he was reading. “This dude had a thing for ice sculptures.”

“I’ve heard that before,” Lance mused. “Someone said he considered opening a shop. Guess there wasn’t much else that required his attention back in the day.”

Keith snorted and shook his head. He continued reading but it appeared this specific scroll was nothing more than a love letter to the craft of ice sculpting. He put it aside and picked up a different one. Lance as well had started looking through the scrolls curiously. 

They remained in silence for most of it, occasionally laughing about something or showing each other an amusing passage. Keith did find a few paragraphs that were dedicated to the struggle of his past life - it felt weird to say this - with learning waterbending. It felt validating to read it and as weird as this guy must have been, it soothed some of his worries. 

Knowing it wasn’t just him who struggled was reassuring. Logically he knew it was partly because all Avatars had struggled with the element opposite to their own but reading it written on paper by someone who had been in the same situation was still different. It sparked a bit of hope in him that he could still succeed. He had already started improving with Lance’s help but it was slow-going. 

This man had experienced the same struggle and has had to work hard to master waterbending. He had also been older than Keith and more experienced. It proved he wasn’t a complete failure and just needed to keep going. 

Hearing it from a past life was strange but Keith took it as advice from another firebender who had learned waterbending, not from a person who had been… him hundreds of years ago. It made it easier to process.

The guy expressed his love for the Water Tribe and its people repeatedly and as Lance had said, he had stayed for years to master the element and get involved with the culture and the people. 

Keith didn’t have this sort of luxury but he saw his own thoughts about the Water Tribe being reflected. Some of the passages could have been written by him - with different vocabulary perhaps. The words this man used were old and sprawling with a vivid description like he was writing a romantic novel to declare his love. 

He picked up a new scroll, not expecting anything out of the ordinary but he froze as he read the words greeting him. 

“The Forbidden Art Of Waterbending” stared back at him in neat cursive writing. It was the first scroll with such a headline and the words made him pause. He wanted to continue reading but at the same time, he had a bad feeling about this. 

“What’s that?” he asked instead and tilted the scroll to show Lance. Several expressions flitted over his face as he read the short sentence. He didn’t say anything and instead reached out to take the scroll from Keith gently. He put it down out of reach on the other side of the table. 

Keith frowned in confusion. Lance hadn’t ripped it from his hands which was nice but something was going on that he didn’t know about. He hoped his look communicated as much.

Lance heaved a sigh and avoided his gaze. He took a moment before he spoke. “I don’t… think you should know about that right now,” he said softly. 

“What’s it say?” Keith asked, completely ignoring him. “Why does it say forbidden? Is there stuff you can’t do? What is it?”

Lance sent him a look, eyes still gentle and yet stern. There was something indescribably in his eyes but if Keith had to guess he’d say it was… sadness? It was the first time he had seen Lance this way and it made him pause. 

This was serious.

“There are… things you can do with waterbending that no one should ever do,” Lance said and it sounded like this would be all he’d say if Keith didn’t press any further. He did because he wanted at least some answers.

“What things?”

Lance nibbled on his lower lips, considering but then shook his head. “Nothing you should know about right now. Those things are wrong and dangerous.”

“Shouldn’t I know then? So I can avoid them?” Keith asked. The logic was a bit flawed, even he could admit that. Sadly he was often too curious for his own good. 

Lance shook his head. “No. If I tell you- You don’t consider these things, trust me. If I tell you, you’ll think about it and you’ll be curious and it’ll end badly. It’s not something that should be in your head right now.”

Right now. That was the third time he had said it. 

“Right now,” Keith echoed. “So… you would tell me about it someday?”

The other didn’t look happy if his scrunched up nose and the furrowed brows were anything to go by. His expression smoothed out and he released a slow breath. “Maybe… maybe at some point, when I know you understand the gravity of it.”

Keith blinked. “You don’t trust me?”

“It’s not about trust,” Lance said. “It’s about responsibility and you can only have that when you know what you’re doing.” He met Keith’s eyes. “You don’t at the moment but I’m sure you will at some point and when the time is right I’ll tell you about it because I think it’s important especially for you to know about it.”

Keith had to admit he didn’t understand half of this. Lance wasn’t making much sense but he figured he wouldn’t get more out of him. Questions plagued his mind though. Water was a peaceful element, why was there a forbidden craft? What did it entail? Why was it forbidden? Why did Lance know about it? Did everyone know about it?

His fingers itched to take the scroll back but he didn’t even though the answers were right there. As much as he didn’t want to be reasonable, he trusted Lance. He had never held back before, he had always answered Keith’s questions no matter how silly or difficult to answer. If he was this adamant about not telling Keith, he must have a reason. 

He didn’t like it, not at all, but he’d respect it.

“I don’t get it,” he said with a huff as he leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling where he spotted a man either conjuring or fighting a wave of water. It was hard to say because he saw it upside down.

Lance glanced up from his scroll and studied him as if he was considering something. He took a moment but then came to a conclusion, his expression less pinched than before. “I’ll just tell you this; waterbending is more than just water and ice.”

Keith frowned at the ceiling. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Lance shrugged with a small smile and went back to reading. “Who knows.”

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Keith picked up a new scroll, ignoring the forbidden one on the other side of the table. Maybe he’d be ready to hear about it someday.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

“Hey, do you want to meet the others?” Keith asked.

They were standing opposite of each other with some space in the middle in the courtyard they usually used for practice. The last week had shown vast improvements and he was now able to make the water move how he wanted it to without it splashing about like a fish out of the water. 

He wasn’t sure if that was due to some new-found inspiration after their visit to the library - or Knowledge - or if he had just overcome a slump but it felt good to see this improvement.

They were currently passing around water in a circle which was supposed to teach Keith how to accept and release it from his reach. It sounded easier than it was. They were moving at an easy pace but during a fight, there was no time to take it slow. He had to get quicker and more experience with his approach.

Luis had told him water was all about redirection and fluid movements. Opposite to earth or firebending, you weren’t supposed to counteract an attack head-on. The water was an extension of your body, not a burst of energy. You had to use it to extend your movements, to reach out further than you could. Water was versatile and you needed to know what you wanted from it.

Keith hadn’t understood it at first and he still struggled with the redirection. This task of passing around water was a bit boring, admittedly, but he could see how it would help him in the long run which was important because otherwise, he’d hate doing it. Besides, doing it with Lance meant it couldn’t be boring. Every second of time spent with him was something Keith savored. 

He wouldn’t admit it but he felt drawn to Lance like he had never experienced before. It was foreign and a bit scary but a good feeling nonetheless. It hadn’t changed after finding out he was a prince. They had been able to fall back into their usual behavior and it felt just as comfortable now as it had before. Keith was glad because losing Lance because of this would have devastated him.

Not to mention his bending would have taken quite a hit.

Lance perked up at the question, that adorably curious expression taking over his face. “Your friends?”

Keith nodded, eyebrows furrowing as he released the water from his reach without trying to hold onto it. He could feel the other’s gentle pull on it and let him have it. Something told him to keep it but he had to let go. “Yeah.”

“I’d love to!” Lance passed the water around to him effortlessly and Keith picked it up again. 

Occasionally he wished he could just steal Lance’s talent and skill but he tried not to focus on any negative feelings. He was grateful Lance had taken to helping him since he was the sole reason Keith saw any improvements in the first place. They had come at a slow pace, especially the first few victories but there had been some accomplishments and the learning curve appeared steeper now that he had a rough idea of what to do.

No other element had given him this much trouble and he felt compelled to feel even more grateful towards Lance. He knew he wasn’t the easiest student but Lance had never once lost his cool and he hadn’t thrown the towel even when Keith had yelled and gone on a small rampage after yet another fail. 

He had just stood there, watching him rant and throw his arms around while small puffs of fire exploded here and there. Everyone else would have taken a tactical retreat, especially the level-minded waterbenders who preached about peace and balance. They didn’t know how to handle someone like Keith when he went off.

Lance had merely waited for him to finish, quite unimpressed with the tantrum, before asking if he was done or if he wanted to yell some more. 

Keith had been angry at first, the comment fanning the flames but it had evaporated just as quickly. He had felt embarrassed about losing his cool like a child in front of Lance and had apologized. The other had just hummed and suggested they spar a bit instead of continuing to force something that wouldn’t work.

The offer had taken Keith by surprise. No one else offered this despite Shiro, especially when they were supposed to be practicing. Hunk was a pacifist at heart, he didn’t quite enjoy serious fighting. Pidge did do it sometimes but they usually had better things to do.

Shiro would offer because they were both firebenders and worked similarly but even he wouldn’t do so in the middle of a lesson. Lance was the only one who had done this. He must have realized the best way to calm Keith down was by getting some steam out of his system. 

Quite literally. 

And it had worked. They had gone back to practice and Keith had been a lot calmer. He had been able to concentrate and had succeeded in the end. Lance’s proud smile had been the best reward for all the trouble and frustration.

“Hunk usually cooks dinner for us and we eat together so… if you want to come around…” Keith didn’t know why he felt so hesitant. It was just dinner.

He was inviting Lance over for dinner. He hadn’t even asked the others if that was okay but he doubted anyone would have a problem with it. It was rare Keith made a friend on his own. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had made a friend so… he was sure Shiro would fight shedding a tear of joy. The dramatic flair had always come to him naturally.

“Absolutely!”

Keith smiled at Lance’s enthusiasm. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be disappointed with the ragtag group of friends and their weird dynamics. Or the fact that they had chosen to stay in a small house out of the way of the castle and the busier places of the city. They felt more comfortable this way, too used to running from village to village and never settling too long. Small and personal felt more comfortable than the grand hallways of the palace with guards and personnel mingling about. 

Lance was royalty but he wasn’t vain. Keith believed it would be fine.

So why was it that he was a nervous wreck in the evening? Why was he nervous about this? It shouldn’t be anything special. Lance had shown him the markets before, they had eaten together and had spent a lot of time with one another. Why was this any different?

He had more reason to be nervous during their sessions since he regularly made a fool out of himself in front of a master waterbender but he had never felt like this for their practice. He was at ease then because he was used to it and felt normal. Inviting someone over was… intimate in a sense. His friends were his family and while Lance… while he too was a friend… it was not the same. 

Keith did not feel about Lance the same way he felt about Pidge or Hunk or even Shiro. He’d give his life for any of them and they were the most important people on the planet in his eyes but… Lance was different. 

“Are you nervous?” Shiro asked. His eyes were darker in the soft light of the fire and the white forelock appeared almost orange with how it reflected the flame’s warmth. The same reflections danced along the dark metal of his arm that he was not covering up for once. He had taken to doing so whenever he did not want to attract attention and the colder climate of the north pole gave the perfect excuse to hide his arms and hands.

While he had grown more comfortable with his new limb, he had yet to accustom to the staring it brought along. A lost limb was already attention-attracting while having a metal arm would make even other amputee’s stare.

Not just the staring, but the limb itself was still a taunting reminder for what had happened to Shiro. Sometimes he simply didn’t want to think about it.

Keith sent him an affronted look. “I am not!”

The older blinked at him, clearly not convinced. Pidge cackled from where they sat on the soft furs lining the floor. Rover was lounging on their shoulders and catching some sleep. “I’m pretty sure he is.”

“I’m not,” Keith hissed, releasing a steamy breath so he wouldn’t jump on the little gremlin. 

“Hey, he sounds nice. I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Shiro said with a placating hand on the younger’s shoulder. He was the voice of reason in their awfully compulsive - Keith and Pidge - or inherently cautious - Hunk - group of people.

Keith briefly wondered where Lance would fall on the spectrum. He had the potential to be both compulsive and reasonable. Surely he’d agree with Shiro more often than not but would then still go out to do something stupid. The thought alone was amusing and all the more reason to introduce him. 

“I just hope I can meet his standards,” Hunk said, eyeing the dish over the fire nervously. “I’ve never cooked for royalty before.”

Keith released a breath, calming the nervous flickering of the flame inside his chest. For a moment he felt bad about springing this onto Hunk without warning but then he remembered how thrilled he had been to cook for someone new. 

“He’s not like that.”

“Still.”

“Your food is great, Hunk. If he doesn’t like it, I’ll kick him out. Prince or not,” Pidge said off-handedly. No one doubted their words and the comment made Hunk smile as he placed some side dishes onto the low wooden table in the middle of the room.

A knock reached them and they all looked at one another before their eyes settled on Keith who had to keep his flames in check. The nervousness was back full force which was absolutely ridiculous. It was just Lance.

But it was _Lance_.

“Well, go on,” Pidge called with a smug look. Keith wondered if it would be appropriate to set their ass on fire but decided against it. He wouldn’t be able to explain why there was a seared hole in the furs. Instead, he just sent a heated glare their way as he stalked over to the front door. 

As he approached it, his thoughts tumbled all over themselves. It was just dinner, it was just dinner, no need to freak out. The self-applied pep talk barely helped with keeping his fraying nerves in check and he wished the walk to the door was longer. Keeping Lance waiting outside until he had calmed down would mean not letting him in at all so Keith took - yet again - a deep breath and opened the door. 

He came face to face with… a truly stunning sight that stole his breath right out of his lungs and left him gaping in awe. 

Lance was looking back at him with bright eyes. A pair of crystal earrings of the almost exact same color glinted in the light of the moon. Nestled in his hair sat a delicate silver headband. Over his shoulders rested a fur-lined poncho that was easy to remove and handy for when you only had a short walk to your next destination. Not like the thick coats you’d have to pull over your head.

His clothes were partly hidden by it and the darkness of the late evening but even then it was easy to see it was not his everyday outfit. Similarly to the banquet, he had indulged in something more extravagant. The tunic had a neat trim and was made from soft material. The pants were more fitted and his boots seemed less worn than his usual ones.

“You dressed up?” The words escaped his mouth before Keith could stop himself. His brain to mouth filter had decided to completely leave him and he could only hope it would come back soon or he’d make a fool out of himself this evening. He was prone to doing so even with it so without it his hopes were rather slim.

Lance looked at him owlishly before glancing down at his outfit. He raised a hand to play with one earring while avoiding his gaze. Keith’s eyes were drawn to the motion like magnets. 

“Is… is that wrong?” Lance asked unsurely. 

Keith shook his head hurriedly. “No! No… I just… didn’t expect it.”

Reassured he hadn’t done anything wrong, Lance sent a sweet smile his way. It made his heart flutter. 

“Well, it would be incredibly disrespectful to not show appreciation for the first invitation to someone’s house. Especially when dinner is involved.”

He wasn’t sure if this was a Northern Water Tribe tradition but Keith tried not to feel under-dressed in his own home and not to ogle Lance and his attire too much. He was sure that would be disrespectful no matter what culture one had grown up in.

“Oh… of course, right… come in.” He stepped aside and held the door open to let Lance enter. In the warm light from the candles and fire, his headband seemed to glow. 

With a quick flick of his wrist, he undid the clasp of his poncho which slid down his shoulders. Keith almost made an embarrassing noise as he spotted Lance’s bare biceps. Since they usually met outside, the other was layered in thick clothing so he had never seen him in fitted attire. If you didn’t count the time where they had switched tunics which was still appearing in Keith’s dreams occasionally. 

Seeing Lance’s bare upper arms felt almost scandalous but he thanked whatever spirits had advised him on his fashion choices this evening. 

Lance didn’t notice the other’s dilemma and hung up his poncho next to the door. 

Keith needed a moment to recover from the bare skin incident before he led their guest into the main room where the others were waiting with badly concealed curiosity. They had seen the youngest prince once at the banquet a week ago and only knew what Keith had told them. 

Apart from swooning and dreamily looks, it wasn’t much.

“So, uh…” Keith cleared his throat and ignored Pidge’s teasing smirk. “That’s Shiro, Hunk and Pidge.” He gestured to each of his friends. “Guys, this is Lance.”

Lance's smile might have lit up the room more than any fire could have. Perhaps Keith was biased.

“Hey everyone. It’s an honor to meet you.”

“The honor is ours, your highness,” Shiro said smoothly and Keith almost choked on his next breath. Sometimes he forgot people were expected to address Lance this way and seeing it happen was a wake-up call.

Lance snorted, waving his hand. “Please don’t, it’s just Lance.”

Shiro looked conflicted for a moment but then nodded in acceptance. “Alright, we’re glad you could join us.” 

Not addressing royalty by their royal title went against everything Shiro stood for but he couldn’t deny such a direct request. He had heard from Keith that Lance preferred not to be addressed as a prince so he would heed the request.

“You forgot Rover,” Pidge pointed out, the flying lemur perking up at hearing his name. 

“He’s adorable!” Lance said immediately, eyes wide as he dropped down onto the furs to be on a similar eye-level. His expression was adoring as he took in the small animal. “Hi Rover.”

Rover’s large ears perked up in interest and he climbed down into Pidge’s lap. It wasn’t often he got to meet new people like this. He sniffed Lance cautiously before jumping on his arm and scaling his shoulders. His little hands moved to touch Lance’s hair which made him snicker. “Yeah, it’s like a polar bear dog, huh?”

Rover chirped happily, having fun with Lance’s hair which he didn’t mind at all. He was more than used to having animals on his shoulders. “I’ve never seen one like you,” he mused curiously. 

“Oh, they live at all the air temples,” Hunk said. “Pidge picked him up when I joined the team and now he’s like a mascot.”

“He’s the most important member,” Pidge insisted and Lance laughed. Keith felt heat spreading across his body that didn’t come from the flames.

“I can imagine.”

Whatever has had Keith feeling nervous before, it vanished once they sat down to eat. True to his notion, Lance got along with everyone swimmingly. He swooned over Hunk’s food because he has never had anything outside of the tribe’s native dishes. Hunk, always finding the way to a person’s heart through their stomach, glowed at the praise and soaked it all up giddily. 

Pidge prodded and poked at Lance with their questions, testing him, his knowledge and his opinions. It was their way of deciding if they could trust a person. It was an unconventional approach but if you couldn’t take it, you wouldn’t be able to be friends with them. 

Lance took it all in stride, answering their questions and teasing back. He wasn’t a pushover and Pidge nodded their head in approval after a while. If they were convinced then Lance had to be an okay-person. Not that Keith didn’t already know this but seeing it confirmed by his friends meant he didn’t have to worry about them getting along.

Shiro was quick to convince as well. He was easy to get along with in the first place and made it easy for other people to feel the same. Even when he was a bit older than them, he let them joke around and sometimes indulged in their antics. While he did sometimes come across as boring, he was not above fooling around.

Lance enjoyed himself as well. Rover stayed around his shoulders the entire evening, chirping whenever his head or back was petted. Obviously, he’d take a liking to their guest. He loved everyone who gave him even a little bit of attention and finding a new pair of shoulders to rest upon was all he cared about along with food and pets. 

Seeing Lance so enamored with him made Keith imagine what he’d be like when he saw Mochi for the first time. The thought alone made him smile and he vowed to introduce him to the flying bison soon. He was sure Hunk wouldn’t mind. He and Mochi were both big softies at heart.

Sitting together like this, Keith felt a sense of calm and content. The Fire Nation was banished from his mind for now, the never-ending threat of a sudden attack seeming far away and unimportant for just this one evening. He allowed himself to relax and be present in the moment. His friends were gathered around, Lance fit into the group seamlessly and all was well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Were any suspicions confirmed? What do you think about Lance and Keith?  
> I'd love to hear what you think!


	3. Chapter Three: The Attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One day late because I had work yesterday and my brain was fried. I hope you enjoy this last chapter and please heed the newly added tags! There will be some blood and descriptions of injuries in this chapter.  
> Also my grammar app doesn't want to work rn so I'll have to do that later.

The Fire Nation had come sooner than expected. Keith hadn’t felt ready in the least even with all the training and practice he had done. Lance had been doing his best to teach him all he could in the month it took for the first black snow to settle over the city. The soot mixed with the water and turned it murky. The dirty stuck to the buildings and the ground like a dark reminder.

From then on everyone had been frantic to prepare and Keith had felt incredibly useless. Of course he had done whatever he could to help, he had thrown himself into getting his waterbending to improve but he was still a beginner. He was nowhere near ready to get into a fight to protect an entire city.

No to mention the Fire Nation ships harboured more soldiers than the small city could ever hope to scrape together. Everyone who could fight, benders and non-benders alike, had been preparing but even then their future did not look bright.

Until now, not much had happened except for half-hearted attacks from the Fire Nation on the shore line. It felt mocking almost, small groups of people attacking their scouts and first line of defense. It was like they weren’t even trying to get into the city but just toy with them and keep them on their toes.

Shiro feared it was a tactic to drain and distract them. Hunk and him had taken to scouting the outer edges of the city with Mochi to prevent their enemies surrounding them or attacking from behind.

For now the threat was just looming. No big attack had been made yet even when some people had been injured while trying to protect the shore.

The waiting game was making everyone anxious. They didn’t know why the Fire Nation did not just attack. Surely they’d know they had a good chance to invade this city with the combined forces of their marine and ground troops. Still they didn’t, as if they were waiting for something.

Keith didn’t want to entertain the thought that the Fire Nation knew exactly what they were doing and just waiting for the right moment. It was the unspoken truth though. Everyone knew there had to be a reason and they did their best to be prepared for all cases.

The benders took turns defending the shore line and tried to put a small dent in the Fire Nation’s numbers and resources by sinking their water speeders and boats. No one knew if this accomplished much but they gave their best nevertheless.

The advantage in machinery was another point of concern. The Fire Nation had worked tirelessly to improve their transportation and weapons of warfare. Pidge and Hunk were always torn between being amazed and being horrified about such genius ideas being used in such horrendously destructive ways. As inventors they couldn’t help but acknowledge the innovative ways they improved their methods but it didn’t mean they had to think of them positively.

Using these ideas to do good would have been much more in their nature.

A nation as peaceful as the Water Tribe had no experience with advanced warfare. Their resources were simple and although waterbending could be used in destructive and harmful ways, it was not in the nature of the element and therefore its people.

As it was, they could only try and contain the threat with their first line of defense out on the shore until they knew more. Or until the first real attack came.

Keith dreaded it more than anything because he knew it was his responsibility to keep these people safe but he didn’t know if he would be able to. He was no match for the combined forces of the Fire Nation, no matter how many elements he had mastered within the last few months. He didn’t feel ready, not in the least.

Standing in this room together with Shiro, the leaders of the troops, the council members and the king himself, he still didn’t feel ready. Discussing strategies and plans seemed almost pointless but Keith knew he couldn’t give up before the fight had even started. He couldn’t. He would do anything to protect this city and fight until he’d be physically unable to conjure another flame. He was determined to keep going until the end and knew everyone in this room and the city felt the same way.

He just hoped it would be enough.

One of the council members pointed towards the three dimensional ice map of the city for a potential attack. “If we can keep the high ground over them we will have an advantage. We can use this to narrow the passageways and hopefully keep them contained.”

Another man nodded thoughtfully, pointing at a spot on the map. “We will have to try to-”

“DAD!”

The king looked up from the map. Everyone else followed his gaze to the door which had just burst open. Veronica, his youngest daughter, had come rushing into the room. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes wild. She was one of the leading waterbenders who protected the shore in front of the city. Her presence here meant something had happened. From the looks of it it was something bad and Keith did not have a good feeling about this.

“Veronica,” the king said, straightening up and looking at his daughter worriedly. “What happened?”

“Th… they…” Veronica gasped. She was out of breath, presumably from running all the way to the conference room. She needed a moment, panic and fear written all over her face. “They… they have Lance.”

The king’s frown immediately shifted into an expression of shock.

Keith felt like someone had punched him in the gut and his breath cut off.

Lance…

“What?” the king asked, voice shaky in a way it had never been before

Veronica was usually one of the more composed people. Everyone looked up to her, she had a vast knowledge of strategic maneuvers and had fought to protect the city numerous times. As a member of the royal family and a skilled waterbender she saw it as her duty to protect their people. Seeing her in such a state was beyond worrying.

“We were pushing back their ships and…” Veronica gestured with her hands aimlessly. Her speech was jumbled because she still couldn’t believe what had happened. “I don’t know how it happened. I… I think they were trying to get him because they singled him out and… We… I… I couldn’t…” She took an anxious breath to calm herself down because her voice shook dangerously. Perhaps she had wanted to say more but she remained silent.

“Where is he?” Keith asked, unable to stop himself but no one said anything. It was the first time he had spoken up throughout the whole meeting. Warfare was not one of his fields of expertise but Lance…

“On one of their ships. I guess he’s on the commanding one but I can’t be sure.” Veronica sounded defeated and helpless. There were dozens of ships out there. While the commanding one would be the most logical, they couldn’t be sure.

Location aside, it would be impossible to get onto one of those ships unnoticed. They anchored in tight formation with guards stationed on deck at all times. They didn’t know where Lance was or how they could get to him. Even an attempt at a rescue could have fatal results.

That was if Lance was still…

Keith bit the inside of his cheek harshly to stop this train of thought.

Lance was fine. He had to be. He was too stubborn to…

Keith didn’t allow himself to finish the thought.

The king’s expression turned stone cold, his hands tightening into fists and small crystals of ice spread across the table in front of him. His eyes were ablaze with a murderous fire.

“Your highness,” one of the generals said carefully. He was the first who dared to speak up, everyone else clung to the tense silence in the room. “They will try to use him as leverage-”

“Do you think I am not aware of that?” the king hissed. For the first time he did not sound calm in any way. Having their son at the mercy of the enemy would cause everyone to lose their composure. The king was no different, especially with his youngest child’s safety at stake.

“Then you know that we can’t-”

“Careful of how you proceed,” he growled and the man shut his mouth quickly, eyes wide. If he hadn’t been the one to silence him, Keith would have gladly done it. Even now the flames were flaring angrily and he could feel his blood starting to boil.

The man was silent for a few seconds before he dared to continue. “Your highness, we cannot risk the city’s safety for-”

“He’s a prince!” another general hissed, affronted with what the man was implying. At least someone else could see it.

“He’s a resident just like everyone else,” the former argued back. “We cannot risk our safety for just one-”

“Enough!” the king bellowed. No one dared to speak up.

Keith hated how the people gathered were already debating whether Lance was worth… saving or not. Whether his life was worth the safety of the city. He hated they even had to have this conversation because logically he knew these two stood in no relation to one another and yet he wanted to move the great seas just to get Lance back to where he would be safe.

He would not hesitate a second to risk his life in an attempt to get Lance back. He would do it alone if he had to but… he couldn’t. As much as it pained him, he couldn’t. Not only would he risk both the city and Lance if he acted recklessly, but he would also forgo his responsibility as the Avatar. He had sworn to protect their city and he might be the only hope they had.

As the Avatar he was supposed to be detached from worldly bindings. His purpose was to keep the balance and provide peace. While this proved difficult on it’s own already, it got more complicated when his ties to other people were involved.

He was human like everyone else, he could not detach himself from his friends and family. He didn’t want to. There had to be something worth fighting for and Lance was certainly one of those things. If Keith had not been tasked with the world’s fate, he would have moved water and metal to get to the other. Yet, as it was, he could only watch these men and women discussing what to do.

As much as it pained him, his hands were tied.

A quick look at Shiro confirmed this, the pained grimace on his friend’s face speaking volumes. Shiro knew how close the two of them had gotten and he knew how Keith must feel.

“They will use him as leverage but we will wait until they pose their demands,” the king said in a dark voice. Everyone knew what those demands would most likely be but no one dared to speak up.

“Until then we won’t do anything but defend the city.”

And this was final.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The demands came roughly twenty hours later. Much too late for anyone’s liking.

Keith had been on edge the entire time and itching to go out there to attack something. Shiro had stuck by his side to make sure he didn’t do anything reckless and for once Keith appreciated his overbearing nature. He didn’t quite trust himself with remaining calm.

Hunk and Pidge had been equally as concerned. They had also gotten quite close to Lance, inviting him over for dinner frequently and even bending together with him. They have had a few sessions of what Keith called “them being assholes” where they took turns attacking him and he had to respond with the corresponding element. It hadn’t gone over very well whenever it had been Lance’s turn. He had almost set the other’s tunic on fire at some point. Lance had just laughed.

How they had roped Shiro into joining these was still a mystery but then again, Shiro had always enjoyed making Keith suffer. He was weirdly enthusiastic about some very questionable training methods and this was now one of them.

It had spread like wildfire that Lance had been captured by the Fire Nation and everyone was affected. Lance’s siblings wore a solemn look on their faces. Veronica had quickly passed the stage of grief and had turned to guilt and anger. She felt like it was her fault even when everyone knew Lance was more than a decent fighter and could watch out for himself. She had tried her best to help but had been unable to protect him.

As far as Keith knew, Lance had been singled out and separated from the group. It happened sometimes but usually it lasted shortly or resulted in some minor injuries. Lance, however, had turned into the sole target while the other benders had been kept at bay. No matter how much of a master you were at bending, there were only so many opponents you could defeat on your own while defending all sides by yourself.

He hadn’t gone down without a fight, obviously, but he had been overwhelmed and no one had been able to help him.

The king and queen were trying their best to keep composed but everyone could see their worry and fury. What parents wouldn’t be worried about their youngest child being captured by the enemy who knew no mercy? Even when the north pole hadn’t had much contact with the Fire Nation until now, they knew of their cruelty.

It had spread throughout the world like a dark tale. Everyone knew of missing people, of those in handcuffs and those who were silenced cruelly. Even kids knew about it. The Fire Nation’s cruelty was no stranger and thus it made waiting all the more difficult.

Twenty hours were a long time, enough time to do a lot of damage.

The Fire Nation had sent a falcon directly to the king, stating their demands of a safe entry into the city to negotiate.  _ If you want your son to remain alive  _ had been the last line. Some strands of pure white hair had come with the letter.

The message was clear.

Ever since they had received the demands, they have been waiting. Keith did his best to keep his flames in check. He felt like the Fire Nation was merely toying with them even now. There was no need to take a hostage unless they feared waterbenders more than initially assumed. Taking royalty hostage made it feel as if they were trying to mock them, dangle something in front of their faces and taking it away again at the last second.

Shiro had put a calming hand onto Keith’s shoulder to keep him from completely losing it and he was thankful for the grounding gesture. Otherwise the ice beneath him might have melted and sent him plunging into the ocean.

A horn sounded and announced the Fire Nation’s arrival.

Keith was prepared to roast each and every single one of those bastards that were about to show their ugly faces but he couldn’t because Lance would be in danger and he couldn’t risk that. He was the perfect bargaining chip and he absolutely hated it.

Lance was not a trophy to fight over and yet it felt like it was exactly what they were doing.

The tension rose as the soldiers of the Fire Nation approached. Admiral Zhao led the group, hands clasped behind his back and a smug look on his face. He was relaxed because he knew no one would try to attack him. He had the upper hand in these negotiations. Following him were two dozens of soldiers who lined up behind him as he arrived in front of the king and queen. They acted like they had already won and Keith’s flames were surging through his entire body in a desperate attempt to get out and  _ burn something  _ .

“Your highness, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Admiral Zhao drawled and bowed to the royals who were staring down at him with cold expressions.

“Admiral Zhao,” the king said lowly. Everyone glared at the admiral, the hostility in the air strong enough to let everyone in the city know but obviously Zoah wasn’t bothered in the least. His smug smile never vanished.

“A beautiful city indeed. Agna Qel'a has always been the true gem of the north,” he continued nonchalantly. “It’s a shame it does not belong to the Fire Nation… yet.”

Keith exhaled through his nostrils harshly and his breath vaporized into a small cloud of steam. Shiro’s hand on his shoulder tightened protectively.

“What do you want, Admiral?” the king asked harshly, unwilling to play any of his games. One of his children’s lives was at stake. He had no mind to get involved in needless conversation.

“Ah, yes.” Zhao smiled. “I had the pleasure of getting to know one of you children. Your youngest son, Lancito, I believe?”

The king’s gaze hardened and he thrummed his fingers onto the armrest of his throne, new crystals reflecting in the light as they grew.

Keith only now realized this must be what the Fire Nation had been waiting for. They hadn’t even planned on attacking right away. It had always been a waiting game to them. These small attacks might have been to keep them busy but the true purpose must have been something else. Otherwise they would not have waited this long.

Whether or not they had been waiting for Lance in particular or just any member or the royal family was unclear. Though Keith had to admit, Lance was the easiest to identify. His hair must have given him away while his siblings had the advantage or looking like every other member of their tribe.

If Lance hadn’t gone out there he might still be safe but of course he saw it as his responsibility to help. Keith would have done the same.

They couldn’t have known what would happen.

“I would have thought members of the royal family were taught manners but your son’s speak more of a lowly peasant than a prince. It is impossible to have a civilized conversation with him,” Zhao huffed like it was a major inconvenience. “He has the desire to make everything especially difficult, much to his own disadvantage. It was rather disappointing how uncooperative he has been.”

Keith was both proud and worried. Proud that Lance was obviously not giving in and… worried for the very same reason. Lance was loud and never kept his mouth shut. Keith could imagine it was only to his disadvantage in this situation. Yet, he couldn’t help the small surge of pride even when he felt guilty for it.

Lance should have never had to be in this situation.

“What do you want?” the king repeated, voice cold as ice. His eyes were ablaze with hatred.

The queen sat next to him, posture stiff and face set into a grim scowl. Her usually gentle nature was nowhere to be found. If she could, she would have gone against every single soldier in front of her on her own.

Keith was convinced she would have won.

Zhao smiled spitefully, confidence oozing from every inch of his body. “The surrender of your city, pledging unwavering loyalty to the Fire Nation and-” his gaze fell onto Keith- “the Avatar.”

Keith ignored the trail of ants crawling across his back, barely stopping himself from growling or worse; breathing fire, but Shiro held him back. The older himself was raging on the inside but attacking now wouldn't help anyone. No matter what, he wouldn’t let anyone take Keith from him.

Hunk and Pidge tense as well, stance defensive. They wouldn’t allow anyone to lay a hand on their friend.

The king looked towards him, their eyes meeting before he turned back to Zhao. “We will not comply with any of these terms,” he said firmly, hiding the physical pain those words caused him.

Keith wasn’t sure what to feel. He was glad the king hadn’t immediately handed him over but he believed that it would have been the lesser evil. It also meant Lance was still in danger but… he could understand why the king wasn’t giving in.

A whole city for just one life… Keith didn’t want to admit it but it was in absolutely no way balanced. He could see the queen fighting to keep a neutral facade. Innerly she was most certainly breaking down. They were waging the life of her child against their whole city. What parent could possibly remain passive in such a situation and yet they had to.

It was beyond cruel.

Admiral Zhao’s smug look faded more into a cold stare but he never lost his composure. “I’m afraid I have not made myself quite clear, your highness,” he said. “The terms are rather simple. Surrender, loyalty and the Avatar for the life of your son. I believe that is a fair trade. After all, you get to decide whether your son deserves to live or not. I’d take a moment to consider my rather generous offer.”

The king’s harsh scowl did not waver.

“You can save yourself so much sorrow if you just surrender now,” the Admiral continued as if he were explaining something to a child. “Our forces are far superior to your own. No matter how long you resist, we will still defeat you in the end. I believe it is in your best interest to spare your people from death by simply surrendering. You wouldn’t want your son’s death to be completely in vain.”

It was a game to him. He had nothing to lose but he enjoys toying with his enemies and declaring war on more than one front. Psychological war was now apparently also among them.

Keith wanted to rip every limb from this man’s body one by one, burn his eyes out and then boil him alive. He had always known the military of the Fire Nation was vile and ruthless but never before had he been able to pin his hatred onto an actual face.

He couldn’t imagine an entire nation condoning these practises. How could people think they stood above others and had the right to invade their land? When had they crossed the line and deemed themselves superior?

How could even the people of the military be in favor of this?

Keith didn’t understand. He might not be the most balanced or peaceful being out there, but never had he believed to have the right to decide over other people or use them to his advantage.

Shiro had told him how things had been but actually seeing it with his own two eyes on their journey was still different.

“We will not surrender,” the king repeated. His voice was cold, without emotion, but Keith could only imagine the agony he was experiencing. Veronica was holding onto her sister’s coat to keep herself from lashing out. They were debating her brother’s life in front of her and her siblings and their father was forced to speak Lance’s death sentence into existence. They knew why but it didn’t make it any easier to witness.

Admiral Zhao sighed heavily, shaking his head in disappointment. “I didn’t think you would be this stubborn, your highness. I believe I now know where your son has gotten his unruly behavior from.” He waved his hand and the soldiers parted to let some of their own through to the front. They were carrying a metal chest that look incredibly heavy and Keith was immediately on edge. They could only watch as the lid was opened and Zhao reached inside. When he pulled his hand back up, it was buried in Lance’s short white hair.

He looked… not much better than what anyone would have expected.

Keith’s heart stuttered in his chest and everyone gathered made to move but Zhao held his hand up. “I would not be so hasty,” he reprimanded. “Something bad might happen to him and we don’t want that, hm?” Flames danced across his fingertips mockingly.

Lance looked… awful. He had been stripped of his coat and only remained in a light tunic and pants. Parts of his hair were singed, turning the stunning white into dead black. There was an uneven patch where they had surely cut off some to send with the letter.

Several painful-looking burns spread all across his skin and Keith didn’t want to think about how he had gotten them. He wouldn’t allow himself to think about Lance being kept in a cell and hurt to get information out of him.

He looked ready to pass out if his pale and sweaty skin was anything to go by. His hands were tied behind his back with tight metal shackles and his feet must be the same. It was an obvious precaution so he couldn’t bend. He was also blindfolded and it looked like his ears were plugged so… he couldn’t see or hear and therefore had no idea what was going on.

“Now,” Zhao said almost cheerfully. “Will you comply to my terms?”

The king was silent for a moment, his expression remaining unchanged but his hands tightened into fists. More crystals grew and glinted in the sunlight. “We will not,” he forced himself to say.

“Very well,” Zhao mused. He hauled Lance up and threw him onto the ground in front of him. Lance made a small grunt at the rough handling but remained still otherwise. Keith didn’t know how to feel about that.

The Admiral motioned for one of the soldiers who knealt down next to him and pulled out a long dagger. The soldier ripped Lance’s tunic open and held him down so he had free access to his back just above his tied hands. No one had time to react before he slashed the dagger across Lance’s skin, earning himself a pained shriek.

Everyone flinched at the sound, the queen looking ready to behead everyone in front of her while the king was fuming with silent rage. His other children looked both horrified and murderous.

Keith was momentarily too shocked to even breathe. His thoughts were racing and yet frozen at the same time. His instincts screamed at him to do something but not just he but everyone held back. Lance was still alive. There might still be hope.

It was a fleeting wish but they had to cling to it.

Zhao was playing a cruel game with them, toying with Lance’s life and therefore keeping everyone in check. Keith could feel his insides boiling but even if he were to attack, someone would still be able to kill Lance in an instant. All those soldiers were firebenders or were at the very least least armed with weapons. No matter what he tried, as long as everyone was ready to kill Lance and this close to him he didn’t see any possible way of his attack being successful. There needed to be some sort of opening, anything he could use as a distraction.

Lance just had to make it for that long.

“You see,” Admiral Zhao said offhandedly, not bothered in the least. “You could make everything a lot easier by simply complying. Except you have no use for your son?” He sounded smug and Keith wanted to rip his head off with his own two hands.

“We will not comply,” the king hissed lowly.

This time it wasn’t only one cut. Several were made, long and deep and Lance whimpered with each new one that was added. Perhaps he had a hunch what was going on because once the soldier stopped he growled.

“Fuck off,” he hissed, jerking his shoulder weakly as if to dislodge the person pinning him down. “Don’t do it, dad,” he then added in a hoarse voice and both his parents didn’t look far from crying.

Zhao sighed heavily, sending a ball of fire down onto Lance’s shoulder which had him crying out and shaking from pain. This torture continued and it seemed like soon there was more blood on Lance’s back than skin.

“Amazing how the Water Tribe is perceived as kind-hearted and compassionate and yet the king proceeds to execute his own son in front of the entire family,” Zhao taunted. “Perhaps we will keep him alive until after we have taken over the city and then kill him. Wouldn’t that be nice? One last look at his home in flames.”

He proceeded to spread his arms like a preacher, a manic look taking over his face. “I’ve heard there is a place to hone the spirits? Make sacrifices and the like? Perhaps they would be inclined to take a human one to bless the Fire Nation’s rule over their land!”

Keith wanted to throw up. The world around him tinged red in his fury and lightning was running through his veins.

The soldier who held the dagger moved it to stab Lance’s back, plunging it down in a powerful arch.

Keith felt his heart stop.

Instead of going through the skin smoothly, there was a loud clunk and grinding sound, stopping the dagger. There was a moment of confusion and Keith didn’t need more to spring into action. He had always been rather impulsive.

He jumped forward with a furious yell and conjured the biggest blast of air he could manage, pushing everyone away from Lance. This was the only chance he had, this small second of confusion, and he would be damned if he didn’t give it his all.

It took the others a second longer to react but soon everyone was attacking. Lance siblings, the king and queen, the generals, Keith’s friends. Everyone was throwing all they had at the Fire Nation.

The soldiers were still a little confused as they fought back and this element of surprise helped to chase them away. Admiral Zhao was obviously not in favor or this but Keith managed to hit him with a ball of fire and burn his right arm. The yell of pain was beyond satisfying to hear but not everything he deserved.

This man deserved to burn for days before being killed.

Keith wanted to chase after these monsters but Lance was the more pressing matter on his mind. He raced back to the youngest prince, falling to his knees next to him and carefully tugging the blindfold away.

“Lance?” he called, bright blue eyes slowly focusing onto him with furrowed eyebrows. As soon as Lance realized who was in front of him he managed a small smile but not much more. He was deathly pale and looked barely aware of what was going on. His lashes were wet from tears that now had the chance to escape his eyes and roll down his cheeks.

Keith reached for his ears just as Lance’s family members arrived and got rid of the small plugs that were keeping him from hearing anything.

“Lance!” his mother cried and was next to him in an instant, wide eyes flitting over her son’s back that was a mess of oozing wounds. Or it should have been. Instead it looked… frozen.

Keith frowned just as the queen gasped. “Oh baby, oh no,” she mumbled and carefully touched her son’s back and yes, it was indeed frozen over, covered in tiny, blood red crystals. The blood was frozen which is why the dagger hadn’t gone through.

Keith didn’t know how this was possible or if he should be grateful that this had given them the opening to act. All he knew was that blood should not be frozen and he didn’t understand how it could have happened. It couldn’t have frozen because of the cold, that wasn’t how it worked and it wouldn’t have frozen in the matter of a second after being exposed to the cold for minutes prior.

It looked like… like…

Like water that had been turned into ice by a waterbender. They were able to achieve this instantly. But that wasn’t possible. Blood wasn’t water. Waterbenders couldn’t… couldn’t bend  _ blood  _ , that was… it didn’t…

But how?

With slowly dawning horror, Keith remembered the day in the library where they had studied the scrolls from one of his past lives. Lance’s voice echoed in his head like a mocking reminder, like fate playing one of its ugly games yet again and punishing him for his curiosity back then.

_ There are… things you can do with waterbending that no one should ever do. _

Keith’s breath got caught in his throat.

_ Waterbending is more than just water and ice. _

Did… could…

Blood.

Had Lance… frozen his own blood?!

The realization made him feel dizzy and disconnected from the world. He hadn’t known that was even possible! That was… wrong and- and… He felt like he was falling and wouldn’t stop. The world was falling apart around him and he couldn’t grasp onto anything.

He realized why Lance hadn’t told him, why it was The Forbidden Art Of Waterbending.

Bending blood.

It shouldn’t be possible and yet he saw a horrifying example right in front of him. Although it had saved Lance’s life and had given them a chance to fight back, Keith couldn’t be grateful for it. He couldn’t. Not when Lance had done this, not when he had needed to violate his own body in such a way to stand a chance.

“I’m… s-so smart, h-huh?” Lance rasped, sounding a second away from passing out. His teeth chattered and his entire body shook with shivers. Keith could only look at him with his thoughts threatening to spiral out of control. He clutched at them desperately, needing to keep it together but finding it incredibly difficult after the discovery he had just made. His eyes were burning and his throat was clogged up with emotions.

Lance was meanwhile babbling something incomprehensible, his speech all mumbled and words slurring together. His eyelids fluttered and Keith ran a shaky hand through his hair. He couldn’t help with the wounds or pain but he could try to provide some comfort at least.

“Eyes on me,” he said, attempting to sound stern but his voice shook dangerously while the queen and Rachel started healing Lance’s back. It was a gruesome sight and Keith didn’t want to look at it. The snow and ice around Lance had a reddish tint to it which was already bad enough to see. The women did what they could for now, stopping the sluggish bleeding that started again and clotting the wounds.

Keith didn’t want to know what they had done with the frozen blood. If it was still frozen or if they as well had…

He shook his head, not allowing himself any more of these thoughts.

“We have to get him out of the cold,” the queen said, eyeing the heavy metal cuffs around her son’s wrists and ankles with disdain.

“F-f-fish,” Lance mumbled and Keith looked at him with a frown, one hand still running through his short hair in a weak attempt to comfort him. It was uneven and the signed pieces broke off as his fingers touched them, no longer the shiny, healthy hair that reminded him of the bright moon during a clear night.

Lance always looked polished and put together, he’d throw a fit if he knew what state his hair was in.

“Fish?” Keith asked unsurely.

“Th… the… s-spirits,” Lance barely managed to get out. His eyes were almost closed. “Kill… kill them… th… they w-w…” His eyes fluttered close and his whole body slumped in Keith’s hold. He had no time to react before Marco, Lance’s other brother, picked him up swiftly.

“Fish?” Keith asked again in a panic, eyes following the retreating pair nervously. It was almost as if he expected Lance to wake up and explain what on earth he had meant. Obviously that wasn’t about to happen.

“The spirits,” the queen said. Her expression spoke of fury and worry. “The Fire Nation knows about the spirits.”

“If they kill them…” Rachel looked strikken. “If they kill them the city will be defenseless!”

The queen’s expression darkened and she shared a look with her husband.

“Rachel, Veronica, call a meeting, we have to prepare for an immediate attack on the city. We need to guard the spirits and protect them at all cost,” the king said. “Luis, I want you on the outer wall. Make sure everyone is prepared and ready. I want everyone who can’t fight to be protected. The castle is open to everyone who needs shelter.”

His children hesitated for only a moment, taking another look at their youngest brother who was being carried away before disappearing hurriedly.

“Keith.”

Keith didn’t hear it, his mind was reeling. Lance… Lance was hurt, badly. He had frozen his own blood which shouldn’t be possible and...

And the spirits. The… there were spirits? Spirits that could be killed? How… how was that possible? How could spirits be in this realm? Wasn’t he the only bridge between them?

If… if it was possible to kill spirits in this world then…

If the Fire Nation knew about them and planned on killing them…

The world would be thrown into chaos, plunged into a state of unbalance. It went against Keith’s very existence to allow this to happen.

It should be impossible. Spirits were immortal and remain in the spirit world which only he had access to.

How was any of this-

“Keith.”

Keith looked up at the king, startled. He looked as if he had aged at least ten years just in the last day. He was sleep deprived and worry was etched onto his features. “You need to be prepared as well. We will do our best to protect you and your friends but…”

Maybe it won’t be enough.

Keith shook his head, barely managed to form a coherent thought. “It’s… it’s fine. We can take care of ourselves.” He would never want anyone to die in an attempt to protect him. This wasn’t why he was the Avatar. He wasn’t here to endanger other people.

He had already failed at protecting Lance, he wouldn’t let anyone else pay the price. He glanced over the man’s shoulder at the queen who had moved to follow Marco into the palace.

The king noticed and managed a small, tired smile even if it was strained and painful. “He will be fine,” he promised although the words sounded shaky and strained. Keith wasn’t sure if he was speaking the truth or simply trying to convince both of them of his words. “Lance has… an uncanny ability to get himself into dangerous situations.”

“Oh, I know,” Keith huffed, allowing him this one second to relish in Lance’s ability to find trouble. “I’ll… go check on him and I’ll be with you to protect the city immediately afterwards.”

And the spirits. If what the queen had said was true, they were in more danger than anyone else.

The king smiled at him, a tired expression but gentle nevertheless. It was a stark contrast to his furious expression from mere minutes prior. He clapped his hand onto Keith’s shoulder as he went past him to join the emergency meeting taking place. It must take an unimaginable amount of strength to continue on.

“Keith?” Hunk called and Keith turned around to his friends. Thankfully they were all unharmed. “Pidge and I will be in the city protecting people. We won’t be much use out on the water.” Both Hunk and Pidge wore determined looks. This was the moment they had been waiting for all these long weeks. They would give everything they had.

“I’ll be on the wall,” Shiro added. “Maybe I can help holding them off.” Having a firebender on their side would be helpful and an element of surprise. They had to use everything they could as an advantage.

He shared a long look with Keith before nodding his head. “Be careful.”

“I will,” Keith promised. He wasn’t sure if he’d be able to keep his promise though. “You too.”

The others nodded before making their way to their positions. Keith wished he could do more but he had to know Lance would be okay. Otherwise he wouldn’t be able to do anything. Not just this but he had to get answers about the spirits.

He hurried along the hallways of the palace, a trail of blood on the floor telling him exactly where he needed to go. It made his stomach churn but he couldn’t afford to be distracted now. Lance had sacrificed everything to give them an opening. He had told them the Fire Nation’s plan.

Because of him they might have a chance.

Keith stepped into a room and had to hold his breath for a second. Marco stood next to the bed, his tunic covered in blood. The queen was seated on the mattress, her hands glowing in a faint blue as she healed Lance’s back to the best of her abilities. A frown was etched onto her face.

Marco noticed Keith first. “What did dad say?” he asked and Keith tried hard to focus on his face and not on the bloody stains.

“Veronica and Rachel are talking to the generals, Luis and Shiro are on the wall. Everyone who can’t fight is to seek refuge in the castle. Pidge and Hunk are helping with that.” He barely remembered all the details. Everything blurred together in his mind.

Marco nodded his head curtly, sending another pained look his brother’s way before stepping out of the room. He put a hand onto Keith’s shoulder as he went past him. “We’re… counting on you,” he said faintly. The phrase hurt him. As an older brother he felt guilty saying this towards someone younger than him.

Keith nodded his head despite the other’s hesitation. “I know.”

“I’m sorry,” Marco said, squeezing his shoulder before leaving.

Keith took a moment to gather his bearings before stepping up to the bed. The queen didn’t look at him but still acknowledged his presence.

“He will be fine,” she said with a conviction that made Keith feel at ease. She sounded more sure of it than the king had. Maybe because Lance’s wellbeing was resting in her hands. “I’ll make sure of it.”

Lance’s back was covered in blood and wounds but they had started to close, blood clotting and skin melting back together. His wrists and ankles had been freed of the shackles, leaving only dark bruises behind. He still looked awful but at least Keith knew he’d be alright… hopefully. He trusted the queen and her skills but there was still no guarantee they would be alright.

Only if they could protect the city. And the spirits.

They had failed once already with Lance.

Keith had failed.

He swallowed thickly, the guilt threatening to choke him. “I’m sorry, I…”

Couldn’t protect him from this.

The queen managed a faint smile, a blue hue lining her features. “Lance knew what he was getting himself into, we all knew. None of this is your fault, Keith.” She looked at him intently to make him understand. “There are bigger things at stake that are worth fighting for and we all chose to do so. You can’t protect everyone along the way.”

She was right but that didn’t make it hurt any less. Keith wanted to protect everyone along the way, he didn’t want anyone to be harmed.

“Now, I think there are other places where you can do far more than here,” the queen said and turned back towards her son. Keith perked up a little, shoving all his worry into a box. Worry wouldn’t help anyone right now, he needed to be focused.

“If what Lance said is true and the Fire Nations does know about the spirits…” she trailed off, her eyebrows furrowing. “You will need to protect them.”

“Where?” Keith asked. “How? I thought…” He thought all the spirits resided within another realm, another world that was connected to this one but the bridge was only accessible to him.

The queen was silent for a moment before she spoke again. “Before the city was built the spirits blessed this place.”

Keith nodded faintly. “Lance mentioned that. The… the dome was built in their honor?”

The queen nodded her head as a faint smile darted across her face. “Partially, but what most only know as a legend and an old folk’s tale has more to it. The spirits did bless this place but not just with any blessing. They blessed it with their presence.”

So it was true. The spirits were present in this realm. Keith didn’t know how this was possible. Spirits should be contained to their own world, much like humans were.

“How can they be here?” he asked. “I thought only the Avatar could cross the bridge between the worlds?”

“The Avatar is the only one who can cross between the worlds but the spirits do have the ability to cross as well. Once.”

Once?

So if they can cross only once they…

“If they chose to live in our world they will be bound to one form for eternity. They will no longer be able to shift or to go back to their own realm,” the queen said. “For centuries the moon and ocean spirits have lived with us. It’s our duty to protect them. If we fail…” Her gaze hardened and the glow around her hands appeared stronger. “If we fail, we will be at the mercy of the Fire Nation and the world will fall into chaos.”

Two spirits.

Two spirits lived in their world and Keith hadn’t known.

They had lived here for centuries. Other Avatars must have known. The other firebender guy, the one who had studied here for years and had written these scrolls, he must have known. Had he written about them? Had Keith missed it? Or had he purposefully not mentioned them? Why didn’t he know? Weren’t they supposed to share one conscience or something? Wasn’t it his duty to protect both the people and the spirits? How could he do that if he didn’t know of their existence?

Having them in this realm, mortal at that, posed a huge risk.

Keith couldn’t help but resent them for a moment. They had chosen this, chosen to entrust others with their safety and now the balance of the entire world was at stake because two spirits had chosen to leave their immortal life in a different realm behind. Their presence posed a threat to everyone’s safety.

Sending them back would have been the easiest way of protecting them but of course that was impossible.

Not just this but it also meant Keith would be unable to protect the city. He couldn’t help his friends or anyone else who was out there fighting. He’d be stuck waiting for an attack onto two vulnerable spirits who’d be of no help.

“Keith, you have to protect them.” The queen's words pulled him out of his thoughts. She was looking at him intently, her blue eyes in the same shade as Lance’s. He was the only one of his siblings who had his mother’s eyes. “We will protect the city but if the spirits are harmed all of it would have been in vain.”

Her gaze turned gentle as she saw the inner turmoil displaying on his face. “I know you want to fight but you are the only one capable of keeping them safe.”

Keith couldn’t help his eyes flitting to Lance who lay motionless atop the bed. The queen followed his gaze and smiled sadly. It seemed she knew there was something going between them. Whether she approved of it or not was not to be debated now but she did not look surprised about Keith’s excessive concern with her youngest son.

“He will be alright, I promise.” She said this as a mother and Keith believed her. He had no time to feel embarrassed about the need for reassurance.

“Now, you need to get to the spirits. Follow the hallway to the staircase and go all the way down to the lowest floor. You’ll find a door that leads to a tunnel. Follow it until the end. There, you’ll find the spirits.” She sent him a loaded look, similarly to Marco when he had left. “Protect them, with everything you have.”

It was a wakeup call - probably what he needed - and Keith squared his shoulders. He nodded curtly, anxiety spreading through his body but he wouldn’t allow himself to make any mistakes. “I’ll do everything I can.”

“Good,” the queen said before continuing in a softer voice. “We’re counting on you, Keith.”

He nodded his head, sending one last look Lance’s way before turning around and leaving the room.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Walking through the tunnel underneath the city with just a small flame in the palm of his hand to guide him made Keith feel claustrophobic and almost like he was running away from the fight, hiding like a coward. He couldn’t see nor hear what was going on overground, whether the Fire Nation had already attacked or if they were still waiting.

The journey felt both excruciatingly long and scarily short. Keith took a turn and was greeted by the slowly dimming daylight. He ran the last bit and emerged in… a garden?

Hidden behind tall walls of ice and tucked into a glacier was a hidden garden. Lucious grass grew on the ground and it was pleasantly warm. Warmer than any place on the north pole should be.

A wooden archway was the entrance to the garden and Keith stepped through cautiously. He could feel something in the air, something different and yet strikingly familiar. He wasn’t sure if he personally had experienced this before or if it had been a past life. Sometimes he had these déjà vus that were not from his own lifetime. It was strange and yet it didn’t disturb him as much as it probably should.

Aside from the grass, the archway and some stones, there was a small pond in the middle.

Slowly he approached the water and laid eyes upon an unexpected scene.

When the queen had said the spirits were bound to their form, Keith had expected a mystical being. Something otherworldly that wouldn’t exist in the realm of humans but he was proven wrong. He couldn’t say why he knew those were the spirits but he knew.

Two large koi fish were swimming in the middle of the pond. One white with a black patch of scales on its head, the other black with a white patch. They swam in circles together, never stopping, never changing. It looked like a dance with their graceful forms blurring together.

Tui, the ocean, and La, the moon. Black and white, good and evil, push and pull, yin and yang. Keith couldn’t say how he knew this but the piece of knowledge came to him like a familiar face. He was entranced by the circular movements, feeling something inside of him almost trying to detach from this world. He quickly took a step back and shook his head. He avoided looking at the pond, not wanting to risk ending up in the spirit world for some reason. It felt like it would happen if he looked at them for too long.

He had to remain here in this world and protect these spirits. The two… fish. The obscurely large number of koi fish sculptures in the city suddenly made a lot more sense and yet not at all because fish were anything but spiritual in Keith’s opinion..

He scowled in their general direction. “You’re really causing trouble here,” he muttered under his breath, hoping fish were unable to hear underwater. He didn’t know if insulting spirits was some sort of offense on his part - it felt like it would be - but he couldn’t help it. Two fish posed the greatest risk to this entire fight and he was now supposed to protect them.

He sighed heavily and looked out towards the city. He could see the ocean from here, the ships beyond the wall that had closed in. There was fire lighting up the structures of ice, faints shouts from the streets and smoke rising up.

The fight had begun already. The Fire Nation had started their invasion of the Northern Water Tribe and Keith was stuck in a garden protecting two helpless fish who had chosen to spend their immortal life in a pond swimming around one another. Lance had almost lost his life in an attempt to warn them and give them a change.

The Avatar was supposed to be balanced but Keith couldn’t help but feel disappointed and angry. He should be down in the city, fighting, helping and protecting the city.

Not here.

A frustrated growl escaped him.

“Fine,” he hissed at no one in particular. “Fine, I’ll protect you two usele- … I’ll protect you, so you can at least help protect the city.” A pointed gesture towards the city and and angry scowl accompanies his demand. He didn’t know if the spirits had heard him, Avatar or not, but it was all he could do for now. Other than that, he could only wait.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

The sky had turned dark, the moon had risen and the fight continued. Waterbenders were stronger during the night as they pulled their strength from the moon. Luis had told him about it in length and great detail, hoping it would help but even midnight bending lessons hadn’t been more successful than the usual ones for him.

Even with the added strength of the moon, the Fire Nation didn’t deem it wise to back off. They were sure they would be able to win this and it was not a good sign.

Keith was growing restless, pacing back and forth and occasionally entertaining the thought of leaving to help those who were fighting but he couldn’t. No matter how useless he felt, if he didn’t protect the spirits the entire city would be defenseless and everything would have been in vain.

The fish were still dancing around one another, showing not even a hint of knowing what was going on, what their people were going through. Keith wished he could yell at them and make them help. Even as fish they should still have some of the powers as spirits, right? They should be able to help. These people had built a dome in their honor, thanked them every year and protected them. Shouldn’t they be inclined to at least give something back?

It was infuriating and frustrating to even think about but with nothing distracting his mind, Keith couldn’t help it.

That was until he heard something.

It sounded like dull cracks and he was immediately on edge. He forgot about his frustration and the fight taking place in the city. His ears strained to pick up any noise but it was eerily silent.

Seconds ticked by.

Keith didn’t take a single breath.

A loud crack echoed and large splinters of ice exploded into the garden.

Keith’s eyes widened and he deflected them with a blast of air before they could skewer him. He didn’t trust himself with waterbending just yet. Especially in a situation of life or death.

He focused onto the glacier wall that had just been blown to pieces. A small passage was revealed, together with the ugly face of General Zhao.

Keith growled.

So he had known about the spirits. He had known about this place and he was here to kill the spirits. There was no other reason for him to be here. He must have chosen the dark of the night and the battle to come here unnoticed. After hours of fighting it was easier to break the enemy lines than right at the start. At least he hadn’t come from the tunnel Keith had used which led back to the castle.

Keith tensed up, falling into his fighting stance immediately. “Leave before you regret it,” he called, eyebrows furrowing into a scowl.

“Do you really think you can stop me?” General Zhao taunted with a smug look on his face. He didn’t look surprised to see him here.

Keith hadn’t known it was possible to feel this much hatred towards a single person but it increased steadily with each passing second. This was the man who had ordered the attack of an entire city, who had led an army of soldiers to terrorize innocent people, who hadn’t cared about anything but glory and victory, who was ruthless and saw himself as above anyone else.

The man who had hurt Lance.

“Don’t underestimate me,” Keith hissed.

Zhao laughed maniacally. “You? A useless boy from the streets with nothing to his name?”

Keith sneered at him. His background used to be his weakest spot, the slightest mention of it had him breathing fire but now he didn’t care anymore. What made him angry instead was not that he was a street kid but rather that people used it as a way to taunt him and make him feel like he was worth less than anyone else.

He was not. No one was. There was no better or worse. Everyone was equal and yet the people of the Fire Nation had placed themselves above all others. Their ignorance and superiority complex would be their downfall. He’d make sure of it.

“You can’t do anything against me,” the general said smugly. “You are just one obstacle in my way but you won’t be for very long. Avatar or not, you won’t stand in the way of my glory. I will rise above anyone and I will dominate the lands I claim! You can’t stop me, boy!”

Keith has heard enough and sent a wall of fire the man’s way. He was still fuming on the inside about what this scum had done to Lance and he’d put his all into making him pay. He used every element at his disposal to the best of his ability, sending Zhao flying and managing to burn him a couple times.

None of it was enough.

Zhao was an incredibly skilled fighter and didn’t back down. He attacked Keith with flames relentlessly, his experience far superior to his own. The years of harsh training in the military was not something comparable to months of lessons with his friends.

Keith knew he wasn't at his best. He was young and inexperienced. Three elements were incredibly new to him and even firebending hadn’t been a polished skill of his for long. All the training and practise of the last months simply wasn’t enough. No matter how hard he fought, no matter what he threw at Zhao, he always managed to retaliate. Neither were backing down and Zhao had no regard for his own safety. While Keith was reckless himself, this man was a downright maniac.

A particular powerful explosion of fire threw him back and he skidded across the ground, his breath momentarily punched out of his lungs. Keith’s entire body was aching but he forced himself back onto his wobbly legs. He was breathing hard but raised his arms again, preparing for another attack.

No way in hell would he let Zhao get close to the spirits. He had been tasked to protect them and he’d protect them at all cost, no matter what. He was the Avatar, it was his duty to protect the spirits and keep the balance between them and this world. He couldn’t let Zoah destroy this balance for the Fire Nation’s selfish goals. If he failed everyone would suffer the consequences.

But Zhao was determined, spurred on by his idea of world domination and power. He attacked without break and Keith didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to fend him off.

The general noticed his diminishing stamina and smirked evilly. “You will die, Avatar. No matter how hard you fight, it’ll all be in vain. The Fire Nation will destroy you and the rest of the world that is trying to resist us! You will burn as it all goes up in flames!”

“Not today!”

Keith couldn’t even process whose voice he was hearing before a hail of ice rained down onto Zhao who barely had time to protect himself. Sadly he was not skewered by one of those large ice pieces. It would have been too easy and obviously the universe hated them.

A blur of blue and white caught Keith attention. He turned his head and his mouth dropped open in shock.

“Lance!” he gasped as the other appeared next to him, grinning and with a wild look in his eyes. “What are you doing here?!” Keith’s heart stuttered and then kickstarted into a hectic jump. A million things were going through his head and he couldn’t comprehend what he was seeing.

“Saving your sorry ass, idiot,” Lance shot back easily. He still looked pale and a little shaky on his legs but there was a fire burning in his eyes. His tunic was partly ripped and darkened with dry blood. He must have come here as soon as he had been lucid enough.

Keith was still freaking out about him suddenly appearing. “You shouldn’t be here! You’re hurt! You-”

“The young prince!” Zhao hollered, a smirk on his face and Keith growled at him. Not in a million years would he let this bastard lay a hand on Lance ever again. The flames inside him rose higher than they had ever before and fire trailed along his hands.

“Our paths cross once again. I’m surprised you’re even standing. Shouldn’t you be off resting somewhere? You don’t want to trouble your family any more than you already did, do you? You have been a terrible inconvenience.”

Lance sent the man a cold look. “Never underestimate my mother,” he said darkly. “And don’t think I’ll be that easy to go down again, asshat.”

Keith allowed himself a small grin before he attacked again, having regained some new strength with Lance by his side. They managed to fend Zhao off and back him up. Lance wasn’t as quick as he usually was, his attacks were weaker but his water was able to counter a lot of Zhao’s strikes so Keith could focus on attacking.

The element of surprise didn’t last for long and Zhao regained his footing. Even against two opponents he was faring scarily well.

They might have been able to make it if they had more experience, more time… but Zhao saw an opening as Lance stumbled. He conjured a blast of flames that rushed towards him. Keith jumped in front of Lance and deflected them, keeping them both safe but he didn’t have time to stop Zhao from lunging towards the pond.

He was there within a second, raising his arm and-

“NO!” Keith yelled but it was too late.

Zhao brung down his arm, a slash of fire clashing against the water and Keith felt it with his entire being. The rattling, devastating feeling of a sudden loss shook him to the core and he stumbled a few steps backwards, clutching his head. His ears were ringing, the world was spinning out of control around him.

Everything felt wrong.

Lance caught him against his chest. The grimace on his face showed even he had felt something just now. He couldn’t feel his connection to the water the same way as before. It had turned into a silent trickle at the back of his mind and he no longer had access to it. It was an echo of its former self and the gaping emptiness in his chest was terrifying.

“Keith?” he asked in a shaky voice. Worry took over because Lance had never seen Keith like this. The sudden loss of the moon spirit seemed to affect the Avatar more than anyone else. Not only this but the world was plunged into a terrifying dullness, like all color was suddenly sucked away. The moon shone no longer, it’s spot empty in the sky.

Keith grunted faintly, regaining his footing but still feeling woozy. He needed Lance to support himself because everything was spinning and his knees felt weak.

“Keith! Lance!”

They both turned, seeing Shiro, Hunk and Pidge racing towards them with frantic expressions.

“What happened?” Pidge asked as they came to a stop next to their friends, arms raised and ready to attack but hesitating. Their eyes fell onto Zhao who had a manic look on his face like he had just conquered the entire world.

“He… he killed the moon spirit,” Keith managed to say, still leaning on Lance but slowly getting his bearings under control again. The plunging emptiness was still there, humming at his very core and telling him something was wrong, something was missing.

“He…” Shiro was at loss for words but his expression hardened. If anyone understood the gravity of this it would be Shiro. He had studied the world of the spirits and their meaning. Without permission of course, but it had been one of the things that had made him realize what was going on in the world and that what the Fire Nation was doing wasn’t right.

“Zhao!” he yelled, more furious than anyone had ever seen him before. He was a gentle soul, he never yelled at anyone but right now he looked ready for murder. “What you did will throw the entire world into chaos!”

“You!” Zhao hollered back, pointing an accusing finger at Shiro. “You have no right to even speak! A traitor like you should have been executed and burned until your bones turned to ashes. What you did is unforgivable and your very existence is a stain to every soldier’s honor! You-”

A solid rock crashed into Zhao’s chest and sent him stumbling backwards with a grunt.

“No one talks about Shiro like that,” Pidge hissed darkly.

It was a flurry of limbs and different elements, bursts of fire lit up the dark night. In the end it didn’t help much because Zhao managed to escape. He had accomplished what he had come to do. He fled like the coward he was and the world remained dark as no more flames lit up the walls of ice around them.

Keith would have liked to kill Zhao with his very own hands for what he had done to the city, the moon spirit and Lance but there were more pressing matters. He couldn’t focus on chasing down a coward when the world was about to turn on its axis, with the Fire Nation taking over the city after the spirit’s death.

He had to do something.

Lance had knealt down in fornt of the pond, the delicate, white koi fish cradled in his hands. His expression was pinched, borderline between anger, worry and concentration.

The others approached cautiously. They had never seen a spirit before and while they hadn’t expected them to be fish, they could see the devastating effects.

“Can you…” Hunk asked slowly, wringing his hands, but he didn’t even need to finish.

Lance understood and shook his head. “Waterbending is gone,” he said faintly. “I can’t heal… it’s… it’s dead… I…” he bit his lip, expression helpless. Shiro put a comforting hand onto his shoulder while Keith knealt down next to him.

It was his job as the Avatar to protect both the human world and the spirit world. To keep the balance between them and ensure peace. To see one of the spirits he was supposed to protect lying dead in front of him… he couldn’t explain the gaping hole in his chest that refused to stop aching. His head had started spinning again and he was growing increasingly dizzy.

He had failed. Again.

The loss and the guilt made him light-headed.

“What do we do now?” Pidge almost whispered. “The Fire Nation… they are still attacking. If no one can waterbend anymore how… how can we protect the city?”

Keith tried to say something but his vision turned white and it felt like he was sucked out of his own body. His ears were ringing and he couldn’t feel anything at all except for an indescribably energy humming under his skin.

It was like he wasn’t a human being anymore but merely a cosmic spirit floating about in an endless void. He knew the feeling and yet it was foreign every time. He had never managed to actually get a grasp of himself whenever he entered the Avatar State no matter how hard he tried.

Time passed differently because it only felt like a second before everything came rushing back to him at once in an overwhelming wave.

When Keith came to again he was sitting in the pond, soaking wet and with his entire body thrumming in that familiar jet foreign way. If it hadn’t happened before he would have freaked out but now he knew what the Avatar State felt like, no matter how strange and scary it was every time it happened.

Losing all control and now knowing what you did or what was happening was scary and he hated it with a passion. Especially since he had no control over how to use it.

He whipped his head around, his friends still gathered at the edge of the pond and staring at him with a mixture of amazement, shock and wonder. Lance especially had wide eyes and an awed look on his face.

“H-hey,” he croaked, lips twitching up into a crooked smile. Even in this darkness his eyes were glowing brightly. “You can actually waterbend.”

Keith huffed, managing a small smile. He stood up and waded out of the pond on shaky legs. Stunts like these left him feeling weak and drained like nothing else did.

“Did we win?” he asked because he could never remember what had happened when he entered the Avatar State in such an uncontrolled manner. Mastering it was difficult, especially for someone like him who relied so heavily on just instincts.

A calm mind was not easy to attain for him.

“Did… did we…” Lance echoed, unable to form a coherent thought.

“Yes,” Shiro said instead, a gentle smile on his face. “We won. You won.”

Keith allowed himself a second of peace before he refocused. They had won. They had fought back against the Fire Nation but… the world was still dark, the moon didn’t shine. The moon spirit was still dead. Even in his Avatar State he wouldn’t be able to bring it back.

There was no way the world could continue to exist with such a drastic shift in balance. Everything would fall into chaos and Keith had to find a way to fix this. He didn’t know how though. He didn’t know if it was possible even for him as the Avatar to revive a spirit that had been killed. If he had been able to he surely would have done so while he had been in the Avatar State where he was the most powerful but he hadn’t.

Any sort of hope he had slowly started to ebb away and despair took its place. This was a momentarily win but something had to happen.

Everyone tried to figure out a plan but none of them could come up with any solution until Lance took a deep breath and sat up straighter, a determined look on his face.

“What?” Keith asked carefully, somehow feeling dreadful. Lance turned to him and the look in his eyes let Keith’s heart drop even lower. “Lance?” he asked and the other averted his gaze.

“You know,” he mumbled softly. “I… I might be able to bring it back.”

Everyone held their breath.

“You…” Shiro started but was unable to continue.

“I was very sick when I was younger,” Lance said quietly. “The healers couldn’t do anything. My parents came to the spirits to ask for help and… the moon spirit gave some of it’s life force to me.” He ran a hand through his white hair unconsciously. Keith followed the motion and realized why Lance’s hair was this color. The moon spirit’s scales shimmered in exactly the same shade.

“I might be able to give it back.”

Keith couldn’t breath. While he understood the logic, the implications behind it… “Lance… that… that could kill you!”

“I know.”

“Then-”

“But it’s the only chance.” Lance looked Keith straight in the eye, unwavering and unafraid. Keith actually flinched back at the intense stare and his piercing blue eyes.

“Keith, the world needs the moon,” Lance said like Keith didn’t know. Or like he knew the other didn’t want to even think about what he was about to say. “Without it everything will fall out of balance. If there is even the slightest chance that it’ll work, I have to try.”

“But…” Keith’s expression must have been pitiful because Lance sent him a small smile, albeit a sad one.

“It’ll be fine,” he said softly, reassuring like his mother had been earlier. Keith found himself unable to believe him like he had believed the queen.

“Worst case scenario; I turn into a fish.” Lance attempted a cheerful grin. He was trying to cover everything up with humor but it didn’t help Keith in the slightest.

“Lance,” Shiro said gently. “Are you sure?”

“No,” Lance admitted, looking down towards the dead spirit. “But I have to try.”

Shiro didn’t look like he liked the idea either but he nodded his head curtly. Hunk and Pidge were huddled together, both of them wearing unsure expressions. Hunk was holding onto Pidge like he planned on using them as a protective shield despite their significantly smaller physique.

Keith grabbed Lance’s wrist, the latter looking at him curiously. “I…” he bit his lip and glanced away for a second. “I still need a waterbending teacher so… you better come back to me, okay?”

Lance looked surprised, a little flustered even, before he smiled. Genuinely this time. “Yeah, I know. No one can teach your sorry ass except for me.”

“Damn right.” Keith managed a small smile before tentatively letting go of Lance’s wrist after giving it one last squeeze. He didn’t want to but he had to. “So make sure you come back.”

Lance nodded before he bent forward, his hands slipping under the moon spirit’s dead body and gently pulling it towards himself without lifting it out of the water. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Everyone watched, holding their breath. They didn’t know what they were waiting for, what to look for and at first nothing happened but then the water around the white koi fish started glowing faintly. The water rippled around Lance wrists and slowly crawled a little higher as if reaching for something. Lance’s brow furrowed. It was faint at first but then Keith saw it. Gentle silver lines were moving underneath Lance’s skin, as if an energy was traveling through his blood stream. He swallowed thickly, watching the display with a heavy heart. He wanted nothing more than to interrupt Lance and stop this energy from leaving him.

But he couldn’t.

He could only watch the display with both dread and fascination. The energy traveled down Lance’s arms in a steady stream, down to his fingertips and flowing into the moon spirit’s body. The glowing of the water grew stronger until it was almost blinding and then - it stopped. It dimmed down and time froze.

Keith’s eyes were wide, focused onto the still koi fish in Lance’s hands. His own heartbeat seemed to slow down, each breath minutes apart until suddenly - a twitch.

Another one.

The koi fish lit up in a silver glow, the entire pond illuminated in its light. The wound on its body was healed, in its place beautiful, shimmering scales. It twitched one last time before it slid out of Lance’s hands gently and swam towards its black partner. Both fish fell back into their circular dance seamlessly and slowly color crept back into the world.

Keith felt like he could breathe again, the gaping hole in his chest was slowly stitching itself back together.

Lance had done it, he had healed the moon spirit.

With the other’s name on his lips he turned towards Lance but all words died on his tongue in an instant. Lance’s eyes were closed, his expression relaxed. His hair that had once been a striking white, unrivaled by anyone else, was now a warm brown. He was slowly falling forward and Keith’s arm shot out to catch him.

“Lance?” he called, voice panicked and an icy feeling of dread spreading through his body. “Lance!”

He managed to pull him towards himself and into his chest. Lance was completely unresponsive, no amount of shaking or calling his name could rouse him. Keith could feel tears stinging in his eyes as he pulled the other closer into his embrace. He had already almost lost him once, now it seemed he had lost him for real.

A life for a life.

He didn’t register anyone else joining them in the garden.

Veronica broke down in agony as soon as she realized what had happened, Rachel barely able to support her. Luis and Marco bowed their heads, guilt and sorrow eating away at them. The queen was grasping at her husband’s arm, unable to stop her tears and even the king couldn’t hold them back.

Keith didn’t register any of it. He held Lance close to his chest, face buried in the junction of his neck and shoulder. “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” he whispered in a shaky voice. “It should have been me. I’m the Avatar, I need to protect the world. It shouldn’t have been you, never you.”

Lance had given the world hope again but at what cost? He had to sacrifice his own life in order to restore balance. This shouldn't have happened. Keith should have kept him from even attempting this. They should have found another way. There must have been another way.

Anything but this.

Tears were rolling down his face, dropping onto Lance’s neck.

Lance hadn’t hesitated to give up his own life to save everyone else but he deserved to live just as much as anyone else did. Perhaps Keith was selfish but he couldn’t help it. He had always known the universe was unfair but he couldn’t help being mad at fate. It felt like it had been Lance’s destiny to give back his life one day. Everything he had gone through just for this one day.

Keith’s hands tightened into fists. He shouldn’t be thinking like this. He was the Avatar. He was the connection between the spirits and humans. Favoring one over the other would throw the balance off, no matter what he personally felt like but it was difficult not to blame the spirits for being defenseless, for letting this happen.

Blaming the spirits was one side, but Keith blamed himself more than anyone else. If he had been stronger, if he hadn’t failed, none of this would have happened. If he had stopped Zhao, defeated him before he could harm anyone, Lance wouldn’t have had to sacrifice himself.

There was a small ripple and the feeling like someone was physically trying to direct Keith’s attention. With great effort, he lifted his head, tearful eyes falling onto the pond. One of Lance’s hands was still grazing the water and not even an inch away from it was a bright spot - La.

Keith froze, staring at the black ocean spirit that just floated in the water motionlessly. He didn’t know why it had interrupted its usual push and pull with Tui. It was an endless dance and never interrupted no matter what. Even the fight taking place hadn’t stopped them, nor Zhao’s attack.

La didn’t move, the black koi simply remaining in its spot. Keith didn’t understand but then the ocean spirit started glowing in a faint blue light, the water around it followed suit. It traveled out further until it reached Lance.

Keith’s eyes widened as blue energy slowly moved underneath Lance’s skin, entering his blood stream and traveling through his entire body. It only took a moment, a faint shimmer engulfing Lance before it disappeared. A few seconds ticked by where no one dared to breathe or even move before Lance jerked forward and gasped. He choked on his first proper breath and coughed, trying his hardest to fill his lungs with some much needed oxygen.

Everyone was too shocked to react, Keith felt like his soul had been ripped out of his body and stuffed into a new one. His mouth was open in shock and his eyes were wide, still burning with unshed tears. It took way too long for him to react for his liking but he couldn’t help it. He had just seen Lance die and then being resurrected by the ocean spirit.

“Lance!” he yelped, voice cracking horribly. He threw himself at the other, Lance still struggling with breathing properly. He grunted under Keith’s sudden weight, everyone else piling onto him as well.

“Fuck,” he wheezed. “I feel like someone punched me. Did someone punch me? I swear if one of you-”

“Lance!”

The youngest could only shriek as his entire family threw themselves at him, everyone hugging him and patting him down as if to make sure he was actually okay. The queen was squishing his cheeks almost painfully, kissing every inch of his face and running her hands through his now brown hair. Her thumbs swept over the new, blue marks just under his eyes, a small almost sad smile on her face. They reflected the color of his eyes, small sicles curving under the outer corners.

“Looks like you just can’t stay without a spirit’s mark on you, huh?” she said gently and obviously Lance didn’t get it but he would soon enough once he saw the blue marks now sprinkled across his body in delicate patterns.

“If you almost die on me one more time, I swear I’m going to burn your scrawny ass to a crisp,” Keith hissed with a smile on his face once Lance was somewhat freed again, feeling more relieved than ever in his life before. His laugh was like music to his ears and he couldn’t help swooping down, grabbing the front of Lance’s tunic and pulling him into a kiss.

Lance could only squeak in shock but didn’t fight it in the least. If anything, he melted into the touch, returning the kiss and only leaning back when he felt like he was going to pass out.

“Fuck,” he managed, a lopsided smile on his face and cheeks flushed. “Let a man breathe.”

Keith huffed and shoved his shoulder a little. His heart was soaring and his face was hot but he was happy.

So, so incredibly happy.

‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

“I don’t know what to think about this,” Lance said, frowning at his reflection.

He was dressed in the typical shades of blue but in a lighter tunic than usual. It had no sleeves and revealed his biceps. While the protective sleeves reached over his elbow, his upper arms remained bare which pleased Keith a lot.

The folded fabric of the tunic reached higher than usual but still left Lance’s collarbones unobscured with the normal undershirt gone. The traditional white hems had remained as had the fabric wrap and rope belt. The lower part of the tunic did not part in the front and was the same length all around.

Pants and boots were similar to the usual ones albeit not as thick. There was no need for it now. Additionally, there was a noticeable lack of fur except for the lining of the dark blue poncho that was laid out on the bed.

The new tunic allowed for Lance’s blue marks to be seen. Apart from those under his eyes he had gained a few additional ones. According to him he had some on his hips and feet as well but for now only those on his cheeks and arms could be seen.

Keith looked up from where he was playing with his knife and gave the other a once-over. He then shrugged and smiled. “I think you look just fine.”

Lance was obviously not impressed, turning around and putting his hands on his hips. “You, sir, are legally obligated to find me beautiful no matter what so your opinion does not count in this matter.”

Keith snorted. “Does it ever?”

“Sometimes.”

With a shake of his head he stood up, making his way over to Lance who had turned back to frown at his reflection. Keith wrapped his arms around his waist and rested his chin on his shoulder. “I don’t care if my opinion doesn’t count. You look just fine.”

The fretting over his appearance halted. Lance bit his lip, eyes lowering. “Really?” There was this vulnerable tone in his voice and Keith smiled reassuringly.

“Yeah.” He kissed the blue mark on Lance’s cheek. “Very pretty, I like it, and I like your hair just as much. Brown suits you, makes your eyes even more beautiful.” He didn’t know if it was because of the ocean spirit or the hair but Lance’s eyes seemed to have gotten even more blue than before. Keith sometimes found himself just staring into those blue orbs and forgetting time and space itself. It was like gazing into the pond up in the alcove. There was something magical that he simply couldn’t explain but would capture everyone in it’s spell.

“It’s just so different,” Lance mumbled, running a hand through his hair subconsciously. “I feel like I don’t look like myself.”

“It’ll take some time but don’t worry about it,” Keith reassured. Seeing such a change on yourself was hard. He could remember the time it had taken Shiro to get used to his scar and lack of an arm and then later to the prosthetic Pidge had crafted for him.

He imagined it was the same for Lance, especially after the trauma he had gone through. First Zhao, then dying and being resurrected by a spirit. It had left some scars, both physically and emotionally but Keith was more than determined to help him whenever he could.

He squeezed Lance tightly before slowly removing his arms. As much as he wanted to just remain curled around the other, time was running out.

“We should get going if you’re ready,” he said.

Lance turned slowly, needing a moment to tear his gaze away from the mirror and his unfamiliar reflection. “Yeah,” he said. “Yeah, alright.” Two waterproof pouches that rested above his hips went on first, followed by the poncho. Lance adjusted it before picking up his bag and slinging it across his shoulder.

Keith grabbed the rolled up sleeping bag and took Lance’s hand. “Ready?”

Lance looked around the room before his eyes fell onto Keith’s. He nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

“I don’t like this,” the king said with a defeated sigh, “but I guess I’ll have to let you go.”

Lance grinned at him. His brown hair was still a stark difference to before but the marks on his skin no longer seemed foreign. “Sorry, dad, I’ll be first to leave,” he said cheekily and the king couldn’t help smiling.

“Seems like it. I expect to hear from you though.”

“Of course!” Lance saluted before bursting into giggles again. Keith thought it was adorable. His boyfriend hadn’t hesitated to say yes when he had asked him to accompany them. Not just because he needed someone to further teach him waterbending. No, he genuinely wanted  _ Lance  _ to come with them.

He fit into their group perfectly. He had proclaimed his love for Mochi and Rover many times and while no one had gotten him to know as much as Keith had - which was kind of impossible - they all regarded him as a close friend and were thrilled to have him along for the journey.

Lance’s siblings had already said goodbye to him, as had Luis’ kids. Now it was only his parents who had obvious difficulty with letting their youngest son, who had almost died twice just a week ago, go on a dangerous adventure with a racktack group of friends.

“Take care of yourself and your friends,” the queen said, kissing Lance’s cheek just underneath the blue crescent mark.

“Don’t do anything dangerous,” the king said seriously.

Pidge tried not to choke on her snort while Shiro and Hunk wore strained looks on their faces.

Lance just waved off his father’s worries. “We’ll be fine,” he said, hugging both his parents tightly one more time before climbing into the spacious saddle on Mochi’s back with Keith following close behind.

“Love you, don’t miss me too much,” he called towards his parents with a cheerful wave.

“Have fun,” the queen said with an amused smile. The king draped one arm around his wife’s shoulders as they watched Mochi taking to the skies and slowly disappear amongst the soft clouds.

Lance’s eyes were wide with excitement, clinging to the side of the saddle with his hair whipping around in the wind. “This is amazing!” he called gleefully. “Like penguin sledding but you’re flying!”

“I’ve never been penguin sledding,” Keith mused and Lance gasped like it physically pained him to hear that.

“Hunk! Turn around, we gotta go penguin sledding! This caveman has never been!”

Hunk laughed from his seat atop Mochi’s head.

“Maybe we can go next time,” Keith suggested and Lance looked at him intently before smiling. He leaned closer and pressed a quick kiss to Keith’s lips. This was something he still had to get used to. His heart couldn’t help but skip a few beats every time Lance did this.

“It’s a date.” Lance winked at Keith who laughed softly and nodded.

“Sure.”

Pidge groaned while Hunk and Shiro laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you think? Did you like it?  
> I really hope so because I'm really happy I finally finished this and could share it with you all. Tell me what you think, I'd love to hear it.  
> I'm also considering to maybe write a sequel from Lance's POV about a few things but I'm not sure yet. If I do, what would you like to see?  
> Thank you for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Here is where you can find me: [Twitter](https://twitter.com/DancingSkys) [CuriousCat](https://curiouscat.me/DancingSkys)


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